Research Ethics Dr Karen Szala-Meneok Sep 23, 2008 SGS101 – Part 2

Research Ethics Board Why does my research dealing with humans need to be approved by a Research Ethics Board (REB)? The Research Ethics Boards looks at it from the participant’s perspective. As researchers, we may be too close to the topic to notice how it will feel from a perspective of the person who is being asked to take part in our research. As a research intensive institution, McMaster and its affiliated hospitals share a commitment to the promotion of responsible research. They have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the federal granting councils (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) and made it part of the university’s policy that ALL research involving human subjects will be reviewed by an Ethics Board before it begins.

When does a project need human ethics approval? If you are a student (undergraduate or graduate), staff or faculty member of McMaster or the research takes place at McMaster AND If your research involves human participants or their tissues (e.g., bones, saliva, teeth), OR If your research involves human participants or their tissues (e.g., bones, saliva, teeth), OR If your research requires records from human participants (chart review), If your research requires records from human participants (chart review), YOU NEED APPROVAL.

What if … you are just asking “harmless” questions of people you meet? University X just approved this project last week? you are doing an anonymous survey? you are using your family and friends to answer surveys? it is unfunded research? it is being conducted in a foreign country? YOU STILL NEED APPROVAL!!!

What if Ethics Approval Isn’t Obtained? In the recent past, universities and other institutions that have let researchers operate without ethics approval, have had their funding revoked. Ethics approval cannot be granted for research after the research has begun. Without ethics clearance, research funds can’t be released. Unapproved research data can be required to be destroyed!

Which Ethics Board Should You Use? You are faculty, staff, or a student in the Faculty of Health Sciences, &/or you are conducting research at Hamilton Health Sciences &/or its affiliated sites and programmes. Go to … You are faculty, staff, or a student conducting research involving human participants, and are not in the Faculty of Health Science or McMaster affiliated hospitals (i.e., you are in Business, the Humanities, Social Sciences, Engineering or Sciences. Go to… Faculty of Health Sciences/ Hamilton Health Sciences Research Ethics Board cs/reb/ X22057 McMaster Research Ethics Board ca/ors/ethics/ X or If you are conducting research at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, go to… St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton Research Ethics board d/ethics/reb/ X When in doubt, call first!