During Week 15, my autonomous learning was directed toward the university’s institutional research ethics framework. At first glance, a student might assume that because my thesis focuses entirely on existing digital animation films rather than human clinical trials or interviews, an ethical review is unnecessary. However, through attending online academic workshops and evaluating university guidelines, I recognized that all postgraduate research must actively engage with ethical considerations to maintain professional integrity.
I spent this week critically drafting the ethics section of my proposal. I reflected on issues surrounding intellectual property, digital copyright, and the fair use of cinematic screenshots within an academic text. I ensured that my proposal explicitly outlines how data will be stored securely on cloud systems and how full attribution will be granted to the animators and studios. This independent exercise taught me that ethics is not just a bureaucratic checklist, but a fundamental pillar of critical scholarship that protects both the researcher and the creative community.
