The University of Southampton has adopted a new Ethics Policy on Cultural Heritage.
With a constantly evolving ethics landscape, our University strives to be at the forefront of high ethical standards in the conduct of research. Cultural heritage involves the study of human history and culture, and its protection and preservation is vital for both current and future generations.
The new Policy will help both staff and student researchers working with cultural heritage to consider the impact of their research, including the potential loss or damage to tangible cultural heritage, provenance and acquisition of artefacts, and work with human remains more than 100 years old.
In line with the Policy, researchers engaged in research involving cultural heritage (as defined in section 2 of the Policy) must check whether their study requires an ethics review from their Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FREC). Where review is required, it must be obtained through our University’s online platform ERGO II (Ethics and Research Governance Online) before the study can commence.
The Policy was developed through consultation with Chairs of Faculty Research Ethics Committees and approved by the University Research Ethics Committee (UREC).
Professor Mark Spearing, Vice-President (Research and Enterprise) and the Chair of UREC commented:
“The University has a strong track record of conducting very significant research on cultural heritage topics. It is essential that this is conducted with care and sensitivity. The new ethics policy will ensure we continue to achieve these high standards”.
For more information, visit the University website.
