Complaints procedure
1. The following wording is a template complaints procedure that should, with adaptation to suit particular circumstances, be included on consent forms and participant information sheets.
A. For projects being submitted to the Medical Sciences IDREC:
"What if there is a problem?
If you have a concern about any aspect of this project, please speak to the relevant researcher ([insert tel. no. here]) [or their supervisor ([insert tel. no. here]), where applicable,] who will do his/her best to answer your query. The researcher should acknowledge your concern within 10 working days and give you an indication of how he/she intends to deal with it. If you remain unhappy or wish to make a formal complaint, please contact the chair of the Research Ethics Committee at the University of Oxford (Chair, Medical Sciences Inter-Divisional Research Ethics Committee; Email: ethics@medsci.ox.ac.uk; Address: Medical Sciences Divisional Office, Level 3 John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK). The chair will seek to resolve the matter in a reasonably expeditious manner."
B. For projects being submitted to the Social Sciences and Humanities IDREC:
"What if there is a problem?
If you have a concern about any aspect of this project, please speak to the relevant researcher ([insert tel. no. here]) [or their supervisor ([insert tel. no. here]), where applicable,] who will do his/her best to answer your query. The researcher should acknowledge your concern within 10 working days and give you an indication of how he/she intends to deal with it. If you remain unhappy or wish to make a formal complaint, please contact the chair of the Research Ethics Committee at the University of Oxford (Chair, Social Sciences & Humanities Inter-Divisional Research Ethics Committee; Email: ethics@socsci.ox.ac.uk; Address: Hayes House, 75 George Street, Oxford, OX1 2BQ, UK). The chair will seek to resolve the matter in a reasonably expeditious manner."
C. For projects being submitted to the Oxford Tropical Research Ethics Committee:
"What if there is a problem?
If you have a concern about any aspect of this project, please speak to the relevant researcher ([insert tel. no. here]) [or their supervisor ([insert tel. no. here]), where applicable,] who will do his/her best to answer your query. The researcher should acknowledge your concern within 10 working days and give you an indication of how he/she intends to deal with it. If you remain unhappy or wish to make a formal complaint, please contact the chair of the Research Ethics Committee at the University of Oxford (Chair, Oxford Tropical Research Ethics Committee; Email: jacqueline.gerencser@admin.ox.ac.uk; Address: OxTREC Administrator, University of Oxford, Joint Research Office, Block 60 Churchill Hospital, Old Road, Oxford, OX3 7LJ, UK). The chair will seek to resolve the matter in a reasonably expeditious manner."
2. Any researcher who receives notice of a concern should contact the relevant IDREC or OXTREC for guidance as soon as reasonably practicable (using the above contact details). Please note that there is a distinction between expressing a concern and raising a complaint, and if you are in any doubt about a particular situation, please contact the relevant IDREC or OXTREC in the first instance.
3. If a formal complaint is received by the chair of the IDREC, the matter can be delegated for appropriate action, including by referring the matter to CUREC. The chair may otherwise determine the process for dealing with the case as he / she considers fit.