Local authorities need tailored research ethics processes to support research capacity building

Background: Local authorities (LAs) are increasingly aiming to become more research active. Research ethics review is an important prerequisite of high-quality research. It is not clear what a LA ethics review process can (or should) look like, or whether it is needed in addition to external review processes. We aim to describe the scope and purpose of research ethics processes in LAs across England, and factors that are salient to their design. Study design: Qualitative interview study. Methods: Staff from 15 LAs in England were recruited to describe their research ethics process using purposeful and snowball sampling. One-hour interviews were conducted using a topic guide with five scenarios, drawn from LA projects. Interview transcripts were thematically analysed using a consensus building process among the research team. Results: Factors salient to the design of research ethics processes in LAs included: definitions of research, research ownership, and the distinct relationship LAs have with research participants. A typology with four models is used to describe existing processes. These models are: No Process; The Assurance Model (where LAs assure an external ethics committee has reviewed projects); The Advice Model (where there is no formal review, but ethical considerations are made through formal and informal advice); and The Review Model (where LAs establish their own formal internal ethics committees). These typologies emerged from divergent understandings of the role of research in LAs and can reflect varied views of research as an activity “done to a local authority”, “done with a local authority” or “owned by a local authority”. Discussion: Research ethics processes in LAs need to reflect various LA approaches to what constitutes research, who owns the research process, and how a LAs relationship with research participants may vary from other settings. As LAs continue articulating what research means in their setting, they need support and guidance to establish research ethics processes that enable research activity, while simultaneously being sensitive to the level of research readiness and distinct LA need.