Our research ethics policy

Our approach to research ethics

Global 50/50 applies established, rigorous methods across all research conducted by collective members, in our research partnerships, and by external consultants working on our behalf. The principles below govern how that research is designed, conducted and reported.

Research methods

Our research draws on a range of methods across disciplines. Most of our data collection involves detailed desktop reviews of the websites of organisations in our sector samples (the basis of our annual Global Health 50/50 and Global Justice 50/50 reports), of national policies and peer-reviewed literature, and of government databases, as in our Sex, Gender and COVID-19 Data Tracker.

We conduct applied research with a policy and programme focus: examining workplace policies and programmatic approaches, evaluating their alignment with global guidelines and frameworks, and reviewing legal frameworks and legislation at national and international levels. Our work is primarily document-based, drawing on workforce data and national surveillance datasets, with qualitative research conducted with key stakeholders, policymakers and experts where appropriate.

All our research is conducted in an ethical and transparent manner. Methods are published in every report; the methods for the annual Global Health 50/50 and Global Justice 50/50 reports are also published online.

Research ethics standards

We adhere to high standards of ethical research and, wherever possible, submit our methods for review by established ethics authorities. Our key principles are grounded in University College London’s research governance policies and procedures and informed by recognised standards including the ESRC Framework for Research Ethics and the guidance of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

While Global 50/50 was housed at University College London (2017–2021), ethical approval for all research was sought and granted by the UCL Research Ethics Committee.

Since establishing Global 50/50 as an independent non-profit, we no longer have access to the UCL Research Ethics Committee. In 2023, we sought ethical appraisal from the Social Research Association, which deemed our report methods to be “ethically sound”. Given that the report methodology has not materially changed since UCL ethical approval was granted in 2020, Global 50/50 considers its research methods to remain in line with global ethical standards.

All Global 50/50 staff must declare any potential conflicts of interest. Contracted researchers must also declare conflicts of interest before working on a project, and work is assigned or reassigned accordingly – for example, if a researcher is currently or was formerly employed by an organisation reviewed in our annual or sector-specific reports.

Ethics of the Global 50/50 annual reports

Most data reported in the Global 50/50 annual reports is drawn from publicly available websites. Our ethical considerations primarily concern the handling of internal policies shared with us by organisations.

If internal data is requested, organisations receive a detailed information sheet explaining how their documents will be used. A designated focal point must sign an informed consent form before sharing any internal documents. Documents received are accessed through a secure online verification portal via a unique link, stored temporarily on secure servers accessible only to identified researchers, and deleted six months after report publication. Internal policies or excerpted text are never published by Global 50/50.

UCL Research Ethics Committee granted ethical approval for the annual report methodology in 2018, 2019 and 2020 (most recently: Project ID 18623/001, approved 26 October 2020 through 26 October 2021).

Questions about our research methods

For questions about our research methods or ethics approach, please contact us at info@global5050.org.