Applying for ethical approval for research in the United Kingdom

Applying for ethical review in the United Kingdom can be time consuming and burdensome for researchers. The process can often be made easier by implementing relatively minor changes in the early stages of drawing up the application. In this article we discuss the practicalities of preparing an application for ethical review, and the process by which decisions are made. We offer advice on how to avoid common problems when applying to a research ethics committee and provide information on the integrated research application system, launched in January 2008.