Student and Supervisor Responsibilities in Research Ethics

Research students and supervisors both have responsibilities when it comes to submitting a research ethics application.
 

Research student

You may be responsible for preparing the research ethics application for your own research projects. However, this must be done under the direction of your supervisor. The Ethics Committees have reviewed many student protocols that are under prepared. For example, the aims are unclear and inadequate attention has been given to ethical considerations. This can lead to an increased review and approval time frame as the Committee does not have enough information to determine whether your research will comply with the required guidelines for conducting ethical research.

Begin your application early so that your supervisor has time to read through and offer feedback about the application, and so that you have time to seek assistance if needed.

The student research ethics checklist is not an exhaustive list, but provides guidance on the basic steps that need to be taken by the student and their supervisor prior to an ethics application being submitted.

For more information about your responsibilities as a research student, see:

• ANU Guideline: Higher degree by research - University, candidate, and supervisor responsibilities (effective 1 Jan 2016, reviewed 1 Jan 2019)
• ANU Policy: Responsible Conduct of Research (effective 14 May 2019)
   

Research supervisor

You are responsible for overseeing your students’ research ethics applications and providing appropriate advice and guidance. In particular, you and the student must come to an agreement about the scope, research questions, design and methods of the research. You are responsible for advising the student if ethics approval is likely to be required, what ethical considerations that may arise in the student’s research project, and how these may be addressed. You must also ensure that the student does not commence research without having the appropriate approvals in place.

The student research ethics checklist is not an exhaustive list, but provides guidance on the basic steps that need to be taken by the student and their supervisor prior to an ethics application being submitted.

For more information about your responsibilities as a research supervisor, see:

• ANU Guideline: Higher degree by research - University, candidate, and supervisor responsibilities (effective 1 Jan 2016, reviewed 1 Jan 2019)