The University of the West Indies

Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES)

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING MSC RESEARCH PROPOSALS FOR ETHICS REVIEW

Students pursuing research involving human participants are required to submit their research proposals for ethical
review in accordance with The UWI Policy and Procedures on Research Ethics (February 2011). Research proposals
must be submitted to the SALISES Internal Ethics Committee for initial review, thereafter your proposal may be sent
to the Faculty of Social Sciences or Mona Campus Ethics Committees for approval. Please note the following steps:

1. Familiarise yourself with the “The UWI Policy and Procedures on Research Ethics” (especially sections 3.4, 3.5,
9.1), accessible at https://sta.uwi.edu/ordkt/documents/UWIPolicyonResearchEthics.pdf

2. Prepare, in conjunction with your Supervisor, the Research Proposal, following the formatting guidelines
provided to you in the courses SALI6012 and SALI6023. Ensure that the name of your supervisor is identified on
the proposal document.
a. You may also wish to consult the “Guidelines for Preparing Research Proposals: A Handbook by the UWI
Ethics Committee” which may be helpful in understanding ethical issues in research (accessible at
http://www.mona.uwi.edu/fms/uwi-ethics-committee). Do not use the format outlined here but use the
document as a reference.

3. The Supervisor, who is the Principal Investigator, should complete and sign a checklist – the “Information for
Review of Research Involving Human Subjects Checklist”, accessible at: http://www.mona.uwi.edu/fms/uwi-
ethics-committee).

4. Submit the final Research Proposal and signed Checklist as a part of your coursework assignments for
SALI6023: Monitoring and Evaluation. In the 2019/2020 year, the final research proposal is due on April 2, 2020.

5. The Supervisor or Course Coordinator submits a signed cover letter, addressed to the Chair of the SALISES
Ethics Committee, requesting a review of the proposal. Course Coordinators may request a cohort review of all
MSc Research proposals involving human participants. The coordinator will also transmit the proposals to the
SALISES Ethics Committee.

6. The SALISES Ethics Committee will inform your Supervisor and you, in writing, of the outcome of the review
including whether amendments to your proposal are required to meet ethical standards; and also whether you
will be required to submit your proposal to the UWI Mona Ethics Committee.

Please note that the UWI Mona Ethics Committee meets once per month (except August) in each calendar year.
If you are required to submit your documents to that Mona Committee, in the 2019/2020 academic year, you
must do so on April 10, 2020. However, you will not be notified of approval by the Mona Committee until after it
meets on May 1, 2020. In light of the tight deadlines for completion of MSc Research Papers during the summer,
it is recommended that supervisors and students pay close attention to the categories of research outlined in
section 9.1 of the UWI Policy and Procedures on Research Ethics, which are exempt from review by the Mona
Committee.

Should you require further advice on ethical issues, after you have reviewed the UWI Policy and Guidelines for
Preparing Research Proposals, you may contact the Chair of the SALISES Ethics Committee, Dr. Terri-Ann Gilbert-
Roberts, terriann.gilbertroberts@uwimona.edu.jm, +1876 927 1234.

MSc Research Papers – Guidelines for SALISES Ethics Review, March 2020