ETHICS SECRETARIAT
ethics.secretariat@mq.edu.au
9850 6848
Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) Policy on Providing Reimbursements to
Research Participants
Introduction
The National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007) provides the
following information in relation to providing reimbursements to research participants:
(From Chapter 2.2 General Requirements for Consent)
2.2.10 It is generally appropriate to reimburse the costs to participants of taking part in
research, including costs such as travel, accommodation and parking. Sometimes
participants may also be paid for time involved. However, payment that is
disproportionate to the time involved, or any other inducement that is likely to encourage
participants to take risks, is ethically unacceptable.
2.2.11 Decisions about payment or reimbursement in kind, whether to participants or their
community, should take into account the customs and practices of the community in which
the research is to be conducted.
The National Statement is available at the following link:
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/e72.pdf
General Guidance
It is sometimes desirable to acknowledge the assistance that participants give researchers
by recompensing participants for their time, travel costs and inconvenience. Any
reimbursement should not be significant enough to cause people to take risks or accept
burdens they would otherwise avoid. In addition, you should avoid any form of
reimbursement, which would directly encourage behaviours that might cause the
participant harm (e.g. offering gambling related products).
Reimbursement of participants requires justification. Researchers proposing any form of
reimbursement need to establish that the research project involves little personal risk, that
the participant is aware that the payment does not depend on continued participation
(freedom to withdraw consent is preserved) and that the reward for participation is not
likely to make the participant dependent on the researcher. In all cases the HREC will
evaluate any proposed payment in light of: (1) the National Statement (see above); (2)
these general guidelines; and (3) other participant specific guidelines outlined below.
Human Research Ethics Committee
MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY
http://www.research.mq.edu.au/for/researchers/how_to_obtain_ethics_approval/human_research_ethics
ETHICS SECRETARIAT
ethics.secretariat@mq.edu.au
9850 6848
The HREC will consider the following factors when assessing the appropriateness of a
proposed reimbursement:
 Who the research participants are
 What participants will be asked to do
 The time commitment involved in participation
 The overall context of the research
Use of Amazon Mechanical Turk (M-Turk) in Research
Amazon Mechanical Turk is a marketplace for work where employers can advertise tasks,
known as Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs) and workers can select tasks to complete for a
nominal sum. Researchers are increasingly using M-Turk as a source of participants.
A number of articles have been published that raise questions about the use of M-Turk and
the payments made to M-Turk workers. For example, research suggests that 20% of MTurk workers rely on M-Turk tasks as a primary source of income (see
http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/COLI_a_00057).
Researchers are advised to consider the characteristics of tools such as M-Turk when
designing research projects. The HREC will consider the use of M-Turk in research on a case
by case basis taking into account the factors listed in the ‘General Guidance’ section above.
Specific Participant Groups
Research can involve participants from a number of specific groups, e.g. Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander peoples, people in other countries, prisoners, participants involved in
medical research, children and young people, etc.
Reimbursement may raise additional ethical issues with certain groups. The HREC suggests
that you consider the information provided below when preparing an application, which
involves reimbursing one of these groups of people.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
(National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007) Chapter 4.7: Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Peoples)

Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS)
‘Guidelines for Ethical Research in Australian Indigenous Studies’ (GERAIS)
http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/research/docs/GERAISjune2011.pdf
Human Research Ethics Committee
MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY
http://www.research.mq.edu.au/for/researchers/how_to_obtain_ethics_approval/human_research_ethics
ETHICS SECRETARIAT
ethics.secretariat@mq.edu.au
9850 6848

NHMRC Values and Ethics: Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Health Research
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/e52.pdf
People in Other Countries
(National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007) Chapter 4.8: People in
Other Countries)

The principles presented in the AIATSIS Guidelines can be applied to research with
people in other countries.
http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/research/docs/GERAISjune2011.pdf
Prisoners
(National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007) Chapter 4.3:People in
Unequal or Dependent Relationships)

Corrective Services NSW
http://www.correctiveservices.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/312986/i
ncentives_paper1.pdf
http://www.correctiveservices.nsw.gov.au/information/research-andstatistics/corrective-services-ethics-commitee
Participants involved in Medical Research
(National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007) Chapter
3.3:Interventions and therapies, including clinical and non-clinical trials, and innovations)

Statement on Consumer and Community Participation in Health and Medical
Research
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/guidelines/publications/r22-r23-r33-r34

Using the National Statement 1: Payments to participants in research, particularly
clinical trials
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/file/health_ethics/hrecs/reference/using
_the_national_statement.pdf
Human Research Ethics Committee
MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY
http://www.research.mq.edu.au/for/researchers/how_to_obtain_ethics_approval/human_research_ethics
ETHICS SECRETARIAT
ethics.secretariat@mq.edu.au
9850 6848
Children and Young People
(National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007) Chapter 4.3: Children
and Young People)

A Handbook for Human Research Ethics Committees and Researchers Understanding Consent in Research Involving Children: The Ethical Issues
http://www.mcri.edu.au/projects/ConsentInResearch/media/handbook.pdf
(Chapter 7: Is it acceptable to offer or pay money or incentives of any kind to
children and young people?)
Human Research Ethics Committee
MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY
http://www.research.mq.edu.au/for/researchers/how_to_obtain_ethics_approval/human_research_ethics