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1. UWA Home
2. Research
3. Office of Research
4. Human Research Ethics
5. Obtaining ethics approval

Human Ethics Resources

Human research activities cannot commence until human research ethics approval has been obtained and you have been notified by the HREO.

Commencing a human research activity without ethics approval may constitute research misconduct.

Retrospective ethics approvals cannot be provided, as this would contravene the requirements of the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research.

A high quality ethics application package takes time and researchers are strongly urged to think ahead and allow themselves sufficient time to develop a well-designed research proposal and a well-documented ethics application that demonstrates thorough consideration of all relevant ethics issues, explained in plain language.

Typically you obtain approval to commence research in one of 3 ways:

1. Obtain ethics approval for a single project
2. Obtain ethics approval for a course or unit
3. Notify UWA of your existing ethics approval from another institution

1. Ethics approval application procedure
   
2. Ethics approval application (single project)
   
3. Ethics approval application (Course/Unit)
4. Notification of an existing ethics approval (from another institution)
   
5. Exemption from formal review
   

Ethics approval application procedure

1. Step 1 Assemble your application documents package
   Assemble your application document package.  This includes your application forms & supporting documents (eg. PIF, PCF, survey instruments, recruitment advertisements if applicable).

2. Step 2 Sign off by Head of School or Equivalent
   Chief Investigator emails the application package to the Head of School (or equivalent), then forward to the Human Ethics office.

3. Step 3 Risk Assessment
   Human Ethics office will assess the risk level of the application and allocate to a possible review pathways.

4. Step 4 Ethics Review Body will Review the Application
   The HREC or RERC will review the ethics application, request changes if necessary, and then approve the application after they are satisfied with the changes.

5. Step 5 Notification of Approval so Project can Begin
   The Human Ethics office will notify the Chief Investigator/Research Supervisor that the ethics approval has been granted and that the research project can begin.
   

How to write a good ethics application Important information to assist you with writing a good ethics application.

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Thursday, 24 June, 2021 4:54 PM

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