Do I need human ethics approval?
Research undertaken by staff or students that collects data directly from or about
human beings usually requires ethics approval before the research can commence.
This includes:
Questionnaires or surveys
o Structured Interviews
o Unstructured interviews
o Questionnaires and Scales
o Evaluation of classroom learning for research purposes
o Photographic and video records of individuals
o Observations
Experimentation that involves human participants
o Clinical, laboratory or classroom measurements
o Clinical or laboratory testing or experimentation using human tissue
o Counselling and group therapy trials
o Psychological intervention or testing
o Administration of therapeutic substances
o Surgical intervention
o Medical research
Exceptions
o
o
o
Evaluation activities carried out in the normal course of education such
as student feedback surveys, audits and quality reviews
Research projects that involve investigation using only publicly
available records
For advice on this issue, contact the Executive Officer Human
Research Ethics Committee. (ethics@csu.edu.au)