EDVOCACY is pleased to announce the publication of the EMPATHER ORRI Toolkit, a comprehensive collection of guidance and practical resources designed to support ethical, transparent, inclusive and responsible educational research in an increasingly digital environment.
Developed through the EMPATHER project (Embedding Privacy, Transparency and Trust in Educational Research), funded by the European Union under the REINFORCING programme, the Toolkit aims to help educational researchers, teachers and research-performing organisations translate the principles of Open and Responsible Research and Innovation (ORRI) into everyday research practice.
From Principles to Practice
Digital technologies have transformed how educational research is designed and conducted, creating new opportunities alongside important ethical and privacy challenges. Research involving children and young people, in particular, requires careful consideration of personal data protection, informed participation, transparency and the responsible selection of digital tools.
The EMPATHER ORRI Toolkit responds to these challenges by offering accessible guidance and practical resources that can be adapted to different educational research contexts.
At the heart of the Toolkit is the publication Responsible Educational Research in the Digital Age: Embedding ORRI, Privacy-by-Design and Responsible Digitalisation across the Educational Research Lifecycle.
This Core Guide introduces key ORRI principles, explores ethical challenges in digitally supported educational research, and provides practical examples, reflective questions and guidance for responsible decision-making.
Central to the publication is the EMPATHER Responsible Research Workflow, organised around five interconnected stages:
Assess → Map → Plan → Inform & Consent → Monitor
This approach encourages researchers to consider ethical responsibilities throughout the research lifecycle, rather than treating them as requirements addressed only at the beginning of a project.
Five Practical Resources for Educational Researchers
Complementing the Core Guide, the Toolkit includes five practical resources:
- Privacy & Ethical Readiness Self-Assessment Checklist: Supporting researchers in identifying potential ethical and privacy risks before and during research.
- Visual Data Mapping Template: Helping research teams understand how personal data are collected, processed, stored, shared and managed.
- Privacy-by-Design Standard Operating Procedure (SOP): Providing structured guidance for integrating privacy safeguards into research procedures.
- Participant Information, Consent & Assent Templates: Supporting accessible communication, informed consent and meaningful participation, particularly when research involves children.
- ORRI KPI Monitoring & Reflection Framework: Helping organisations monitor their ORRI practices, document progress and identify opportunities for improvement.
Together, these resources offer a flexible framework that can support research planning, ethical reflection, stakeholder engagement and continuous improvement.
Developed Through Participation and Collaboration
The Toolkit was developed by EDVOCACY, in collaboration with the Directorate of Primary Education of Cyclades, through a participatory process involving educational stakeholders.
An important role was played by the project’s Privacy Review Board (PRB), which brought together different perspectives to examine ethical considerations, provide feedback and contribute to the refinement of the resources.
This collaborative approach reflects a central principle of ORRI: responsible research requires ongoing dialogue between researchers and the communities affected by their work.
Supporting a Lasting Culture of Responsible Research
Although developed primarily for educational research, the EMPATHER ORRI Toolkit offers approaches and resources that may also be useful to universities, schools, teacher education institutions, NGOs and public organisations.
Its purpose is not to replace institutional ethical procedures or legal requirements, but to strengthen researchers’ capacity to make informed, responsible decisions and promote a culture of transparency, participation and accountability.
By making these resources available to the wider community, EMPATHER seeks to contribute to the long-term integration of ORRI principles into research practices and organisational processes.
Explore the EMPATHER ORRI Toolkit
The Core Guide and accompanying resources are available through the EMPATHER project website.
Explore the EMPATHER project and its ORRI Toolkit
We invite educational researchers, teachers, research organisations and other interested stakeholders to explore the resources and consider how they can support responsible research in their own contexts.