Each of the ethical standards below must be adequately addressed by the researcher in order to obtain ethics approval.
In the first column, the RESEARCHER (student) should perform a self-check using these 35 questions before submitting the ethics form to the faculty member supervising the study. In each row of the first column, the RESEARCHER should enter YES, NO, or NA as well as a very brief explanation. The Academic Honesty Declaration must be attached and should be signed and dated.
In the second column the ETHICS REVIEWER (supervising faculty member) will enter YES, NO, or NA to confirm or challenge the RESEARCHER'S self-check on each standard. With each NO, the ETHICS REVIEWER will indicate what revisions are required for ethics approval. The faculty reviewer will also render a decision at the end of this form and return the form to the RESEARCHER.
If the ETHICS REVIEWER (supervising faculty member) is able to approve "as is" then the third column is left blank.
In the third column, the RESEARCHER (student) will respond to each of the ETHICS REVIEWER'S concerns to explain where/how each of the reviewer's concerns was met in the resubmitted materials.
1. Are participant recruitment and data collection adequately described, such that the study's risks and burdens can be discerned?
2. Will the research procedures ensure during data collection?
3. Will data be stored securely with adequate provisions to maintain the confidentiality of the data?
4. Will the data be stored for at least 5 years?
5. If participants' names or contact info will be recorded in the research records, are they absolutely necessary?
6. Do the research procedures and analysis/write-up plans include all possible measures to ensure that participant identities are not directly or indirectly disclosed? For secondary data analyses, the proposal must clearly state when/how de-identification will occur.
7. Have all potential psychological , relationship , legal , economic/professional , physical , and other risks been fully acknowledged and described?
8. Have the above risks been minimized as much as possible?
9. Has the researcher proactively managed any potential conflicts of interest ?Note that student researchers may notutilise research assistants to recruit participants or collect research data on behalf of the researcher.
10. Are the research risks and burden reasonable, in consideration of the new knowledge that this research design can offer?
11. Is the research site willing to provide an Authorisation Letter (or email) granting permission granting for all relevant data access, access to participants, facility use, and/or use of personnel time for research purposes?
12. Applicable for student researchers: Will this researcher be appropriately qualified and supervised in all data collection procedures?
13. Is participant recruitment coordinated in a manner that is non-coercive? Coercive elements include: leveraging an existing relationship to "encourage" participation, recruiting in a group setting, extravagant compensation, recruiting individuals in a context of their treatment or evaluation etc. A researcher must disclose here whether/how the researcher may already be known to the participants and explain how perceptions of coerced research participation will be minimzed.
14. If anyone would be excluded from participating, is their exclusion justified? Is their exclusion handled respectfully and withoutstiqma
15. Where the researcher proposes to use an interpreter, has adequate consideration been given to the interpreter's training regarding confidentiality and principles of informed consent, etc.?
16. Do the f informed consent procedures provide adequate time to review the study information and ask questions before giving consent?
17. Will informed consent be appropriatelydocumented?
18. Is the participant information sheet (PIS) written using language that will be understandable to the potential participants?
19. Does the PIS include an understandable explanation of the research purpose?
20. Does the PIS explainthe sample's inclusion criteria in such a way that the participants can understand how/why THEY are being asked to participate?
21. Does the PIS clearly state that participation is voluntary?
22. Does the PIS convey that the participant has the rightto decline or discontinue participation at any time?
23. Does the PIS include an understandable description of the data collection procedures?
24. Does the PIS include an estimate of the time commitmentfor participation?
25. Does the PIS describe any thank you gifts, compensation, or reimbursement to participants (for travel costs, etc.) or lack thereof?
26. Does the PIS include a description of reasonably foreseeable risks or discomforts?
27. Does the PIS include a description of anticipated benefits topartcipaintsand/or others?
28. Does the PIS explain how the participant can contact the researcher and the university's Research Participant Advocate? or email address.
29. Does the PIS describe how privacy will be be maintained?
30. Does the PIS disclose all potential conflicts of interest (specifying that this study is separate from the researcher's other professional role)?
31. Do the consent documents preserve the participant'sss legalrights?
32. If vulnerable individuals will be specifically sought out as participants, is such targeted recruitment justifiedby a research design that will specifically benefit that vulnerable group at large?
33. If the researcher happens to also serve in a trusted or or authoritative role to the participant (e.g., health care provider, teacher etc.), do the recruitment procedures ensure voluntary participation?
34. If the research procedures might reveal or create an acute psychological state that necessitates referral, are there suitable procedures in place to manage this?
35. If the research procedures might reveal criminal activity, child/elder abuse, or employer policy non-compliance that necessitates reporting, are there suitable procedures in place for managing this? Are limits to confidentiality (i.e., duty to report) appropriately mentioned in the Participant Information Sheet?
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