A notable early milestone….research ethics approval
An early milestones outlined in our project plan (which can be found on this page here) was to gain research ethics approval. This was achieved last week for all phases of the project. The approval of the Research Ethics Committee (REC) comes with the usual proviso that updates are provided. For example, we will need to develop a lone worker policy/risk assessment for each specific project location when they are identified. The process of gaining research ethics approvals is often regarded with dread by researchers. However, in this instance, the thoughtful and constructive feedback from REC reviewers definitely helped the research team’s thinking. With their help we now have the practical steps in place to ensuring ethical conduct throughout the life of the study.