Ethics approval is a key milestone for most research conducted by research candidates and it’s important that you plan for it thoroughly.
All research requires approval. For more information refer to the Research Ethics and Integrity webpage.
You should complete your application for ethics approval in collaboration with your supervisor. All research at ECU should be first tested within the Proportional Review Checklist (PRC) to determine the most appropriate review pathway for its review. This includes animal research as well.
Ethics approval will be required from the relevant ethics committee, as appropriate to your research. For research requiring ethics approval it’s essential to note that:
In preparing your application for approval you should familiarise yourself with the relevant legislation and policy. This will assist you with designing your research to align with ethical requirements and principles and with preparing your application.
Research projects that are granted ethics approval are subject to compliance with monitoring procedures.
It’s important that you consider the ethics process as part of your research plan as it can take up to four weeks for applications to be reviewed and approved.
While it is important that you don’t submit your ethics application prior to having your research proposal reviewed, you can begin at any time by completing the Proportional Review Checklist (PRC) to determine the appropriate review pathway, and if required, start drafting your ethics application. It’s recommended that you do this concurrent to the preparation of your research proposal, so any questions or issues raised through the ethics management system can be included and addressed.
If your research involves Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander issues, people or knowledge or might impact on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people or communities you should refer to the Resources and Support page within ECU’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research website. This site provide links to the guidelines and protocols that should be embraced by ECU staff and candidates when planning and conducting a research project with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and/or communities.
The Research Ethics and Integrity website provides information that will assist you in preparing and submitting your ethics application. You may also wish to seek support and advice from your school academic support staff or attend ethics-related research training workshops.
For further information please contact the Research Ethics team.