Australian Institute of Psychology. Human Research Ethics Committee. Terms of Reference

Transcription

1 Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee Terms f Reference What is research? Accrding t the Natinal Statement research... is widely understd t include at least investigatin undertaken t gain knwledge and understanding r t train researchers (NS: 7) and human research is cnducted with r abut peple, r their data r tissue (NS: 8) The Australian Institute f Psychlgy recgnises that unless prpsed research has merit... the invlvement f human participants in the research cannt be ethically justified (NS: 11.1). Research that has merit: has apprpriate ptential benefit; is methdlgically sund; is based upn a thrugh study f the literature; ensure participants are treated with respect; has apprpriate supervisry expertise; is supprted by adequate resurces (including the resurce f adequate time) (NS ). What is ethically gd research? The Australian Institute f Psychlgy is cmmitted t ensuring the highest ethical standards infrm every aspect f human research at the Australian Institute f Psychlgy. The Plicies and prcedures f the Australian Institute f Psychlgy regarding ethical cnduct in human research clsely fllw the recmmendatins f the Natinal Statement n Ethical Cnduct in Human Research (abbreviated belw t Natinal Statement r NS), the Australian cde fr the respnsible cnduct f research 2007 (abbreviated belw t the Research Cde) and Values and Ethics: Guidelines fr Ethical Cnduct in Abriginal and Trres Strait Islander Health Research (NS: 11.1). The Australian Institute f Psychlgy acknwledges that human research is gverned by Australian law that establishes rights fr participants and impses general and specific respnsibilities n researchers and institutins (NS: 8); acknwledges that Cmmnwealth, State and Territry laws may be relevant t research (NS: 9) and acknwledges that research ethics is nly ne part f an institutin s respnsibility fr research gvernance (NS: 9). The Australian Institute f Psychlgy acknwledges and agrees with the assertin in the Natinal Statement that ethically gd human research requires that participants be accrded the respect and prtectin that is due t them, that ethically gd research invlves ging beynd ethical prescriptins and prscriptins t fster research that is f benefit t the cmmunity (NS 7: Purpse). The Australian Institute f Psychlgy adpts the psitin taken in the Natinal Statement that Researchers exercise beneficence in several ways: in assessing and taking accunt f the risks f harm and the ptential benefits f research t participants and the wider cmmunity; in being sensitive t the welfare and interests f peple invlved in their research; and in reflecting n the scial and cultural implicatins f their wrk. (NS 11.1) The Australian Institute f Psychlgy is cmmitted bth t ensuring that the relatinship between thse at the Australian Institute f Psychlgy wh d research n humans and thse humans n whm research is characterised by trust, mutual respnsibility and ethical equality and infrmed by respect fr human beings (NS ), research merit and integrity (NS ), justice (NS: ), beneficence (NS ), altruism, cntributin t scietal r cmmunity gals and respect fr cultural diversity in line with the Australian cde fr the respnsible cnduct f research 2007 (abbreviated belw t the Research Cde) and Values and Ethics: Guidelines fr Ethical Cnduct in Abriginal and Trres Strait Islander Health Research (NS: 11.1).

2 The Australian Institute f Psychlgy acknwledges that the applicatin f ethical guidelines shuld never be mechanical. It always requires, frm each individual, deliberatin n the values and principles, exercise f judgement, and an appreciatin f cntext (NS 13). The Australian Institute f Psychlgy is cmmitted t ensuring bth distributive and prcedural justice (NS 11.1) The requirement fr cnsent The Australian Institute f Psychlgy accepts that in Australia cnsent is ften taken by research participants t invlve individual vluntary chice n the basis f understanding f sufficient apprpriate infrmatin and appreciatin f what participatin entails including ptential risks (NS ) but that variatins f these cnditins may be ethically justified fr sme research (NS 19) and that in all circumstances cllective and cultural issues are central t what cunts as ethical in relatin t cnsent. All research by staff and students f the Australian Institute f Psychlgy will fllw the Guidelines n cnsent given in the Natinal Statement (NS ) Cnsent must be regularly renegtiated during lng research studies r nes where the nature f participatin can be expected t change. N persn (including n student) wh has been invited t participate in research is bliged t accept the invitatin and need give n reasn fr declining (NS ). They will suffer n disadvantage fr ding s (NS ). Participants in Australian Institute f Psychlgy staff r student studies are entitled t withdraw their cnsent at any time withut having t give reasns (NS ) and if they d all traces f their participatin t date will, as far as pssible, be eliminated. AIP HREC will exercise particular cautin regarding applicatins which prpse the requirement fr cnsent be waived r limited disclsure by the researcher f aspects f the research r methds (NS 2.3). Respnsibilities f the Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee fr ethical review The Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee will review, n the basis f ethical principles and in accrdance with the Natinal Statement n Ethical Cnduct in Human Research (hencefrth referred t in the dcument as the Natinal Statement) all prpsals fr quantitative, qualitative research and/r mixed methds research invlving human participants which are prpsed by Australian Institute f Psychlgy staff r students, including hnurs and diplma students (hencefrth referred t in this dcument as the prpser). The Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee will nte and apply guidance re. ethical cnsideratins specific t: Qualitative Research (given in Sectin 3.1 f the Natinal Statement); Interventins and Therapies (Sectin 3.1 f the Natinal Statement) The Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee will nte and apply guidance given in the Natinal Statement Sectin 4 re. specific issues which arise in the case f the fllwing categries f participant: wmen wh are pregnant (Natinal Statement: 4.1); children and yung peple (Natinal Statement 4.2); peple in dependent r unequal relatinships (Natinal Statement: 4.3); peple whse capacity t give cnsent limited r nn-existent (Natinal Statement: 4.4); peple with distinctive vulnerabilities as research participants (Natinal Statement 4.5); peple wh may be invlved in illegal activity (Natinal Statement: 4.6.);

3 Abriginal and Trres Strait Islander Peples (Natinal Statement 4.7). Staff and students at the Australian Institute f Psychlgy must receive written apprval frm the Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee befre cmmencing any research invlving human participatin as an AIP staff member r student. The Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee perates a three-tiered system f ethical review fr all prpsals fr research invlving human participants. The first tier prvides fr an apprval / rejectin prcess wherein: Research which the prpser and the Chair f the Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee and at least tw members f the Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee (all Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee members must be familiar with the Natinal Statement, especially Sectins 1, 3 and 4 and ) deem t invlve negligible risk i.e. where there is n freseeable risk f harm r discmfrt (Natinal Statement 2.1.7) r incnvenience (Natinal Statement 2.1) r which invlves the use f existing cllectins f data r recrds that cntain nly nnidentifiable data abut human beings (Natinal Statement ) r texts fr discurse analysis which are already in the public dmain and which is deemed ethically acceptable in terms f the requirements f the Natinal Statement, will be exempted frm review by the AIP HREC(in accrd with Natinal Statement & ). The AIP Minimal Risk Review Check list must be used fr the submissin. Such negligible risk research will hwever be mnitred by the AIP HREC. The secnd tier prvides fr an apprval / rejectin prcess wherein: Research which the prpser and the Chair f the Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee and at least tw members f the Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee (all Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee members must be familiar with the Natinal Statement, especially Sectins 1, 3 and 4 and ) deem t invlve n mre than lw risk i.e. where the nly freseeable risk is ne f discmfrt, (Natinal Statement 2.1.6) (including anxiety induced by an interview (Natinal Statement 2.1) will be reviewed and if apprpriate apprved by the Chair f the AIP HREC and at least tw ther members f the Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee (all f whm must be familiar with the Natinal Statement, especially Sectins 1, 3 and 4 and ) i.e. will nt be referred t the full AIP HREC fr review (in accrd with natinal Statement (in accrd with Natinal Statement ). The AIP Minimal Risk Review Check list must be used fr the submissin. Such lw risk research will be mnitred by the AIP HREC. The third tier prvides fr an apprval / rejectin prcess wherein: Research which the prpser and the Chair f the Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee deem as invlving mre than lw risk will be reviewed and where apprpriate apprved by the Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee (all Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee members must be familiar with the Natinal Statement, especially Sectins 1, 3 and 4 and ). The NHMRC Natinal Ethics Applicatin Frm ( ) must be used. Such research will be mnitred by the AIP HREC. The Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee will rutinely verify that the cnduct f researchers is cnsistent with any prpsal apprved (in accrdance with the guidelines given in f the Natinal Statement).

4 In accrdance with the Natinal Statement , ethical apprval will be withdrawn by the Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee if it establishes that there is a reasnable pssibility that cntinuatin f the research it previusly apprved may cmprmise participants welfare Further details f prcess are prvided in Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee Plicies and Prcedures The relatinship f the Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee t ther prcesses f research review The Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee will nt duplicate the wrk f anther prperly cnstituted HREC. Staff members r students f AIP wh are als affiliated t ther Higher Educatin Institutins e.g. registered as PhD students at a University, may as affiliates f that University - carry ut research apprved by that University s HREC. Relatinship f the Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee t nn affiliated researchers The Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee will nt cnsider prpsals by nn-aip affiliated researchers Institutinal accuntability the Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee The Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee acknwledges: the Natinal Statement n Ethical Cnduct in Human Research (2007) the Australian Cde fr the Respnsible Cnduct f Research (2007) The Privacy Act 2008 and aligns itself with the institutinal accuntabilities and respnsibilities they indicate. The Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee als acknwledges that: human research is gverned by Australian law that establishes rights fr participants and impses general and specific respnsibilities n researchers and institutins (Natinal Statement: 8); Cmmnwealth, State and Territry laws may be relevant t research (Natinal Statement: 9) research ethics is nly ne part f an institutin s respnsibility fr research gvernance (Natinal Statement: 9) accunt must be taken f lcal culture and scial attitudes when cnsidering research prpsals whilst academic psychlgists have a duty t advance psychlgical knwledge thrugh research and whilst students f psychlgy must learn hw t carry ut research, the rights f individual research participants always take precedence ver expected benefits t knwledge and the interests f students and institutins f higher educatin The Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee s mechanism f reprting The Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee will: submit, each quarter, a written reprt n its activities t its Chief Executive Officer reprt annually t the Natinal Health and Medical Research Cuncil prvide access, upn request t relevant recrds f the Australian Institute f Psychlgy t the Natinal Health and Medical Research Cuncil efficiently maintain recrds f all prpsed human research prjects, s that the fllwing items f infrmatin are readily available:

5 prject identificatin number; principal investigatr(s); shrt title f prject; ethical apprval r nn-apprval with date; date(s) designated fr review prtcls f research apprvals in the frm in which they were apprved Categries f minimum membership f the Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee The Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee will cnsist f members appinted by Australian Institute f Psychlgy in accrdance with the requirements f the Natinal Statement and a cmpsitin Human in accrdance with the requirements f the Natinal Statement The Chairpersn will be the Australian Institute f Psychlgy Head f Research and Academic Prgram Develpment. The Deputy Chair will be the Australian Institute f Psychlgy Head f Schl f Psychlgy. At least ne third f the members f the Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee will be utside the Australian Institute f Psychlgy Each member f the Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee will be appinted fr 36 mnths but can be re-appinted fr up t six years. Remuneratin issues Australian Institute f Psychlgy Human Research Ethics Cmmittee members will nt be remunerated fr Cmmittee wrk (preparatin and attendance at meetings) End