Melbourne Graduate School of Education Research

Human Research Ethics

All research projects involving humans are subject to review and prior approval by The University of Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC). Research involving human subjects can not and must not proceed until clearance has been obtained.

The HREC has established sub-committees and Advisory Groups to review staff and student ethics applications. The Graduate School Human Ethics Advisory Group (GSHEAG) suggests that you read the information below on the procedures for submitting an ethics application, taking particular note of the GSHEAG scheduled deadline. The GSHEAG strongly advises you to visit the HREC website to obtain information about the processes and the requirements of successfully completing an ethics application.

Administration within MGSE is provided by the Research Ethics Officer, Mr Tim Mattingsbrooke [8344 8662], who is happy to provide advice and assistance.

A detailed Human Research Ethics Kit [13MB PDF file] is available for download.

Ethics Applications and Procedure

 

Who should complete an ethics application?

  1. Staff

All researchers who are members of staff of the Graduate School, who aim to conduct research which involves humans as participants, must submit an application to the GSHEAG for review and approval.

  1. Students

All postgraduate students in the Graduate School of Education who are enrolled in a thesis subject, and are gathering data from human subjects must submit an application to the Graduate School Human Ethics Advisory Group (GSHEAG) for review and approval. In the case of student projects, the student completes the ethics application in consultation with their supervisor . The application form must be read and signed by the supervisor (as the Principal Investigator) before being submitted. Project applications must also have the approval of the relevant Human Ethics Sub-Committee, of the Human Ethics Committee (HREC) before undertaking any research involving human subjects. In the case of Education projects, this is usually the Humanities and Applied Sciences Sub Committee (HAPS).

 

What are 'high risk' and 'low risk' projects?

For ethics purposes, projects are classified as being either 'high risk' or 'low risk' depending on the nature of the enquiry being undertaken and the nature of the participants. As a general indication, projects involving children, persons undergoing medical treatment or any person likely to be seen as vulnerable will be 'high risk'. Projects involving consenting adults with non-controversial subject matter will be 'low-risk'. The online process through Themis will make these distinctions clearer, and will usually ensure that the appropriate forms are used.

Low-risk projects generally take less time to approve than high-risk.

 

On-line application through Themis: Where do I log in?

All ethics applications are lodged through the Themis Ethics module, as follows:

  1. Log in to www.themis.unimelb.edu.au for the online form
  2. Click on UOM Research Service
  3. Click on Human Ethics Workbench
  4. Follow the instructions

 

How can students submit an on-line application through Themis?

  1. Students must first be eligible for a Themis account

Student access to the Themis Human Ethics module is now available for "research-active" students [those enrolled in a recognised research degree, such as the PhD]. Students will be assigned the Responsibility of UOM Research Student Self-Service. For the Human Ethics module this will give them access to the same functionality as staff researchers – namely the Human Ethics Workbench, Meeting Schedules and Reporting functionality.   Students who are not research-active cannot access Themis. It is possible for individual students to have their status set to "research active", either individually or as a cohort.

  1. The Themis account must then be activated

Students activate their Themis account via Account Registration System (ARS) just as Staff do.  They will need the following information to activate their Themis account:

         Full name
         Student number
         Date of Birth (format is DD-MON-YYYY)
         Postcode of home residence
         Library BarCode
 
Using this information, the student logs in to the Accounts Registration System (ARS): http://accounts.unimelb.edu.au/

 

When should I submit an application?

Deadlines for submission are devised each year by the GSHEAG. As a guide, applications should be submitted at the beginning of a month for consideration at the Humanities and Applied Sciences HESC for the following month.

 


Who do I submit the application to?

A hard-copy original application signed by all the investigators and supporting documentation must be forwarded to Mr Tim Mattingsbrooke, Room 428, Alice Hoy Building.

Tim will process your application and send copies of the application to GSHEAG reviewers for comment.

 

How long will it take for the GSHEAG to review my application?

Approximately two months should be allowed for the processing of a high-risk project, whereas low-risk projects which undergo expedited review application usually take up to one month, depending on the extent of any required changes.

 

What will the GSHEAG do?

The GSHEAG will review your application and do one of two things.

  1. Approve an application without amendment or;
  2. Suggest amendment to the application before forwarding to the HESC for consideration

 

What do I do if the GSHEAG approves my application without amendment?

If no amendments are required by the GSHEAG, the signed original hard-copy application is forwarded to the GSHEAG Chair and the Associate Dean (Research & Research Training) for approval.

 

What do I do if the GSHEAG recommends changes?

If the GSHEAG requires amendments, Tim Matingsbrooke will contact the principal investigators via email or internal mail with details of the GSHEAG comments and suggestions.

The investigators, or the student in consultation with his/her supervisor, will make the recommended amendments or provide appropriate arguments why the change should not be made.

Amended pages can be submitted to Tim either in electronic form or hard-copy.

The amended original is forwarded to the GSHEAG Chairperson and Associate Dean (Research & Research Training) for approval.

 

What happens after the GSHEAG has approved the application?

The original approved applications are returned to Tim to make the required number of copies. The original and copies are sent to the Humanities and Applied Sciences HESC for consideration on behalf of the HREC.

 

What happens at the Humanities and Applied Sciences HESC?

The Humanities and Applied Sciences HESC will review the application and make a recommendation. For details of this part of the process (including timelines, amendments and conditions of approval) please visit the MRO Human Ethics website.

 

 

Useful Links for Human Ethics

Checklists
The MGSE has developed the following documents to assist with the process of ethics application

Presentation
Dr Michele de Courcy, former Chair of the GSHEAG gives and insight into the ethics application process

 

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