Glossary of Terms

The person designated as taking overall responsibility for the design, conduct and reporting of the study.

A named council officer, usually an experienced manager, appointed by the sponsor organisation to act on its sponsor responsibilities. The person provides a link between the council and the researcher. This person’s role is to facilitate access to research participants and to oversee and monitor the progress of the research on behalf of the council. S/he is not responsible for providing support and advice about the research itself.

Any work which involves collecting information from or about service users, their relatives and carers and employees of the Council. It includes surveys, focus groups, consultations, reviews, evaluations, Best Value audits, and student projects. It does not involve the routine collection of management information.

The Council Officer who is the official point of referral for all prospective research applicants.

The partnership body responsible for considering any research proposals that involve direct or indirect access to service users, their families/friends or carers. Membership comprises the Research Co-ordinator, Council staff, representatives from other organisations and users of Council services.

The person responsible for the management of the researcher(s) and the research.

Other researchers who, with the Main Researcher, comprise the people conducting the study and includes field workers.

An organisation (likely to be the local authority) taking the primary responsibility for:

The sponsor is usually, but does not have to be, the main funder. The sponsor might be a local authority, a University or a research foundation.
Local Authorities are automatically a sponsor of research that involves services users, their families and carers and the local authority’s staff.
The sponsor will be represented by a Manager who will fulfill the role of Nominated Link Officer (see below)