Research Intranet - Research ethics and integrity

The first series of questions applies only to projects that have already been reviewed by another Institution. For most people, the answer to the first question will be no and you will be skipped to section 2: Mandated Review.

If your research has already undergone human or animal ethics review at another institution you will be asked to answer some questions relating to the previous review process, then prompted to enter the investigator details relevant to your project. Once these are complete, you will be asked to submit your responses and an automated email will direct you to a Microsoft Team site for collaboration and a link to an application form where you will be asked to upload the previous review documentation.

Section 2 is helpful for those researchers who know their research activity will require full review by the Human Research Ethics Committee as it allows you to bypass all other sections in both Checklists and move straight to your Microsoft Team site and application form. All researchers must complete this mandatory section which seeks to identify activities which require a review by the HREC in accordance with the National Statement.

The Scope Checker asks a series of questions that are designed to determine whether your work is in scope of human or animal research ethics review.  If not in scope you will be prompted for some further project details and once you submit the form, you will receive an automated email notifying you that your activity is out of scope and no further action is required.  If you are in scope of human research, you will be directed to section 4: Exemption Test.  All projects involving animals will be screened out at this point and taken to STREAM where you will be asked to complete an ethics application for review by the AEC.

The Exemption test determines whether your research activity, which is in scope of human research ethics review, is exempt from review given its use of existing data, a focus on archival research, is a quality assurance or audit, or features a creative or journalistic output.  If your research meets the criteria in the Exemption Test you will be first prompted for some brief project information and upon submission of the form, you will receive notification via email of your research project’s exemption.  If your work is not exempt, you will move to section 5: Development Phase.

If your project is deemed to be in Scope and not Exempt you will be asked if you would like to apply for a Development Phase interim approval for your work.  Development phase approval is typically only granted for six months and allows a research team to develop or finalise data collection procedures and instruments for research projects.  No recruitment of participants or data collection can occur during Development Phase before full approval has been granted by the HREC or its subcommittees.

If you would like to apply for Development Phase you will be prompted for some project details and after submitting the PRC will receive an automated email with a link to your Microsoft Team site for collaboration and a link to an application form.

If you do not wish to apply for a Development Phase, you will be asked to submit the form and an automated email will direct you to the Proportional Review Checklist – Part 2.

The first set of questions in the PRC 2 relate to the risks involved in your research project.  Six categories of risk have been identified including:

• Physical risk;
• Social risk;
• Psychological risk;
• Economic risk;
• Legal risk; and
• Environmental risk.

For each risk type you will be asked three questions:

1. What is the initial risk rating for your project prior to the introduction of activities to avoid or minimise the risk exposure?
2. Describe activities that will be undertaken prior to or during the research project to avoid or minimise the risk exposure; and
3. What is the residual risk rating for this particular risk category after the introduction of the aforementioned mitigation activities?

The residual risk rating (not the initial risk) is used to determine the review pathway for your research.

Following these specific risk questions there are a final set of questions that determine the review pathway for your project.  These questions focus on specific areas of the National Statement that distinguish varying levels of risk in human research and you will only be asked questions relevant to your project based on your previous responses in the checklist.  At the end of this section you will be prompted for some final project-related details then after submission of the form you will receive an automated email notifying you of the proportional review pathway most appropriate for your research including a link to a Microsoft Team site for collaboration and a link to your application form.