Revised Research Ethics Board
The European Social Survey (ESS) is inviting five external members to join its newly established Research Ethics Board (REB).
The REB is the body responsible for advising the ESS on all matters related to ethical issues that arise from conducting a large-scale cross-national survey.
A newly appointed Board will be required to review ethics applications for all ESS activities initiated by the Director and the Core Scientific Team (CST) which require the participation of respondents.
The REB will approve the survey specification used in each round, as well as associated activities, including questionnaire pre-testing.
They will also be expected to rule on ethical considerations for new data collection projects, such as the CROss-National Online Survey (CRONOS) panel, currently part of the Horizon Europe Infra4NextGen project.
Other projects include experiments or usability testing in preparation for the upcoming mode switch from face-to-face interviews to self-completion methods, as detailed in our Strategic Plan 2025-29.
Outside of formal applications for ethical approval, the ESS Director may wish to consult the board for advice on other ethical matters that may arise.
The REB has replaced the Research Ethics Committee and has become a formal part of the ESS governance structure.
It is anticipated that 10-15 applications/amendments for ethical approval will be submitted to the REB during each two-year survey life cycle.
The REB will meet in person once a year (travel and subsistence costs are reimbursed), and otherwise communicates via email and virtual meetings.
Membership of the Committee will be comprised of one member of our Methods Advisory Board, one member of our Scientific Advisory Board, one National Coordinator, the Data Protection Officer (ex-officio) and five successful external applicants.
Members will serve for a four-year term (renewable) starting from January 2025.
One of the five appointed members of the Board will be required to act as the chair.
Applications should include information on areas of research expertise, any previous experience of serving on ethics boards and any relevant training or qualifications in research ethics.
Professor Rory Fitzgerald, Director of the ESS, said:
“The ESS has always taken its ethical responsibilities extremely seriously and adding the REB to our formal governance structure is the logical next step.
“By including five external members on the REB, we will be guided by independent ethical expertise as we navigate a self-completion future.”
Applications should be submitted via email by Friday 4 October 2024.
For a formal discussion of the role, please email Ruxandra Comanaru.