RESEARCH ETHICS AT ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY
FAQ Information Sheet
Frequently Asked Questions about the Research Ethics Policy and Approval Process
The St. Thomas Research Ethics Policy was
developed as a direct result of the Tri-Council Research Ethics Policy. Before
beginning your ethics approval application, you should review the Tri-Council
Policy. It can be found at the following web address:
You
should also review the St. Thomas Ethics Policy which can be found at:
http://www.stthomasu.ca/research/Research/Ethics/Ethicsforms.htm
What
is the “Tri-Council Research Ethics Policy”?
The “Tri-Council Policy” refers to the
comprehensive, Canada-wide policy on research ethics developed by the three
major research grants councils in Canada: the Medical Research Council (MRC),
the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), and the Natural
Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). Essentially, all
universities in Canada (and in the U.S.) are required to establish
institutional review boards to review, document, and ensure that any research
involving human subjects is conducted in accordance with the ethics standards
established by the Tri-Council.
How
do I know if my research needs to go through the ethics approval process?
If
your research project involves human subjects, you will need to have ethics
approval. Research that is archival (i.e., uses existing public or published
records and materials) does not typically require ethics approval.
Where
can I get the form to apply for ethics approval?
All
the forms and guidelines can be downloaded or printed directly from the
website: (http://www.stthomasu.ca/research/Research/Ethics/Ethicsforms.htm.)
The
forms are also available from the secretary for your Department or Program.
How
do I know if my project is minimal risk or not?
After
having read the research ethics policies of the Tri-Council and St. Thomas
University, use your judgement to estimate the degree of risk. Use the guidelines
and sample consent forms that are available to help with your application, and
read the relevant sections of the Tri-Council Policy on degree of risk.
Ultimately,
the decision on the level of risk rests with the Board, but you should do your
best to assess your project’s degree of risk to human subjects. No matter what
the level of risk, focus your application for approval on making it clear to
the Board how you are ensuring that ethics requirements are being met in your
project.
How
long does it take to get ethics approval for a research project?
The
St. Thomas University Research Ethics Board meets once every month, on the last
Wednesday of the month (except December). You should ensure that your complete
application is submitted two weeks before the Board meets.
A
project judged by the Board to be “minimal risk” will undergo an expedited
review and, normally, you will know within two weeks after the monthly
Board meeting at which your application was discussed. Final approval may be
immediate or may take a bit longer depending on whether you need to meet any
requirements of the Board.
A
project judged by the Board to be “greater than minimal risk” will undergo a regular
review, which may take longer depending on the risks involved and
the time it takes the researcher to meet any outstanding ethics requirements.
However, even for a regular review, you will hear from the Board within two
weeks after the monthly Board meeting at which your application was discussed.
Final approval may be immediate, or may take a bit longer depending on whether
you need to meet any requirements of the Board.
Who
do I give my ethics approval application to?
Submit all your materials at the same time
to, Lehanne Knowlton, Office of Assistant Vice President Research. Lehanne
can be reached at 506-452-0647 or (knowlton@stu.ca).
STUDENT RESEARCH
Does
research by students need to have ethics approval?
Yes. Any student research that involves
human subjects needs to have ethics approval. Just as for faculty research, if
there are no human subjects involved, then the project normally does not
need to have ethics approval.
Does
student research as part of a course assignment need to have ethics approval?
Yes.
Whether it is for a thesis requirement or for a course assignment, any
student research that involves human subjects needs to have ethics approval.
Who
approves student research projects?
For “minimal risk” student research,
usually, it will be the Department or Program responsible for the course.
The Department or Program is responsible for reviewing, documenting, and
ensuring that student research involving human subjects is minimal risk and
meets the requirements of the St. Thomas Research Ethics Policy.
For “greater than minimal risk”
student research, the Research Ethics Board will be responsible for
reviewing, documenting, and ensuring that the student research involving human
subjects meets the requirements of the St. Thomas Research Ethics Policy.
If the Department or Program is unsure about whether the student research is minimal risk or not, the Board should be asked to make a decision on the degree of risk. Approval time for higher risk research usually is longer.
Are
there any guidelines to help Departments and Programs to assess student
research?
Yes. Departments and Programs should have
an ethics committee that meets on all student research projects involving human
subjects. Guidelines for faculty research should be used, and there are some
suggested materials for assessing student research provided at the Research
Ethics website (http://www.stthomasu.ca/research/Research/Ethics/Ethicsforms.htm)
Who
can I talk to about other questions I have about research ethics?
Feel free to contact the Chair of the Research Ethics Board, Dr. Michael Houlihan at 506-460-0336 or mhoulihan@stu.ca. Dr. Houlihan is the Board Chair till June 2005.