Course-Based Research Projects

If any student in your course performs research with human participants as part of an assignment or class participation (i.e. surveys, interviews, observation), he/she must receive research ethics approval before beginning to recruit participants. Without course-based ethics approval, each and every student project must be approved through a full student application to the Faculty Research Ethics Committee.

Course-based ethics approval is a way to expedite review when a significant number of student projects in a course involve human participants. The Faculty Research Ethics Committee can temporarily delegate limited ethics committee authority to an instructor of a specific undergraduate or graduate course. In order to delegate this authority, the ethics committee must ensure instructors know enough about the relevant ethical guidelines that apply to their students’ research.

Application procedures

An instructor must submit a separate application for each course. If you are teaching multiple sessions of the same course in a given year, then you may submit a single application. Please fill out the application available at the link below, attach relevant appendices, and submit the original and 3 copies to Naor Cohen in SS 110. Apply before the course begins, or at very least, well in advance of the research activity. Clarification or revisions to your application may be requested by the committee prior to approval.

 

Note: Information gathering projects, designed to build professional skills may not require ethics review. For further information about such projects, consult the Section entitled Distinguishing Research from Case/Professional Skill Development at: Guidelines for Course-Based ResearchApplication Form

 

Course-based Renewal

If you are renewing within 3 years of initial approval and there have been minor changes, please provide the attachments requested in question 1 below, and a memo describing the specific changes (explain the difference between the approved application and the requested change).

NOTE: Instructors are required to submit a note to the Chair confirming that the original conditions of the protocol have not changed.

 

What Happens After Three Years…?

 

After 3 years, a full application is required once again. This is to enable a completely new set of committee members to review the application, since they are responsible for the review authority delegated to instructors. In addition, over time, ethics policies and procedures at the national level, university level, or faculty level, are occasionally updated to account for changing public and academic concerns regarding research ethics.

 

1. Can an Instructor apply for a single ethics approval on behalf of the class?

 

 

An instructor may apply for “blanket” ethics approval for a course if:

* students will be pursuing research projects involving human subjects

* the projects will be based on the employment of similar research questions and methodologies by all members of the class

 

2. What are the Responsibilities of Instructors with regard to “blanket” approval for course-based research projects?

 

The instructor must apply for ethics approval to the Chair of the faculty ethics committee. There is a form supplied for this purpose [LINK].

 

 

See Guidelines for Course-Based Research

 

Note: Undergraduate students who decide to pursue projects outside of the common framework of research questions and methodologies will have to submit individual protocols to the faculty ethics committee for review and approval.

Graduate students who decide to pursue projects outside of the common framework of research questions and methodologies will have to apply to the CFREB, through the faculty committee.

 

In cases where projects involve more than minimal risk, the approval process is different. The protocol has to be sent to the faculty committee, which will pass it on to the CFREB. The CFREB may review the protocol in a face-to-face meeting with the applicant(s) and then make a decision. You may refer to the

Guidelines for Course-Based Research and

U of C Ethics Policy Statement.

 

3. Can I Get Ethics Approval that is Valid Beyond One Semester or Year?

 

 

Course-based projects may qualify as a standard protocol, and hence be granted approval that is valid for a period of three years if:

* they are repeated across semesters

* all students will pursue similar questions and employ similar methodologies

NOTE: If you are submitting a yearly renewal to an ethics certificate within 3 years of initial approval and there are no changes, please submit a memo requesting renewal, and state that there are no changes.