1. Getting to know your… R E B
ESEARCH
THICS
OARD

2. What is the REB?
Who are the members of the REB?
When do I need to submit to the REB?
How do I submit to the REB?
What should I be aware of when submitting to the REB?

3. What is the REB? The REB is a resource for you to:
protect you and your participants
save you time
encourage you and can provide guidance
help enhance the rigour of your project
facilitate your process of learning research
help you do the best research you can

4. Purpose of the Sault College REB
To review, deliberate, and approve or disapprove applications for participation in proposed research activity in the best interest of participants (students, faculty, staff, and public) and researchers.

5. Core Principles Underlying Research on Human Subjects
Respect for persons
Individual autonomy
Informed consent
Voluntary participation
Privacy and confidentiality
Beneficence
Assessment and balance of real/potential risks/harms/ benefits
Non-maleficence
Minimize harm and maximize benefit
Justice
Selection of study participants
Inclusiveness

6. Respect for Persons Individual Autonomy Informed Consent:
- full information
- voluntary (without coercion)
- protect the vulnerable who cannot
protect themselves

7. Respect for Persons (cont)
Voluntary Participation:
Statement that the study involves research
Description of potential/actual risks & benefits
Statement that participation is voluntary
Statement how all records will be kept
Statement describing the degree of record confidentially
Disclosure of appropriate alternatives

8. Respect for Persons (cont)
Confidentiality and Privacy:
How public/private is the research setting?
Confidentiality & Privacy:
Remove or change personally identifiable information
Storage requirements for all research data
Sensitivity of the topic/data:
Can responses/results affect the subject’s life if known by others?
When appropriate, access to supportive resources will be provided

9. Beneficence: Doing Good
Putting the study participants first
Assessment of real and potential risks, harms, and benefits to study participants
The benefits need to outweigh the risks

10. Non-Maleficence: Doing No Harm
There is no pre-specified level for the unethical threshold of harm
The risk/benefit ratio: making sure the benefits from the study outweigh the risks to individual participants

11. Justice “Treating individuals equally and fairly”
Participant selection:
Equitable distribution of research risks and benefits
Equitable selection of participants within the population

12. Composition of the REB Council
Full and alternate members
2 members with expertise in research
1 member knowledgeable in ethics
1 member knowledgeable in law (not associated with the College)
1 community member not affiliated with the College
Additional members with diverse expertise will serve as alternates/ad hoc members
Must include both men and women
Institutional senior administrators may not sit on the REB
College staff supporting the REB or attending an REB will do so in a non-voting capacity

13. When do I need to submit to the REB?
All research involving human participants conducted:
By Sault College students, faculty and staff
On Sault College premises
Using Sault College resources/facilities
Elsewhere under the auspices of Sault College

14. Types of Application Reviews
Exempt: “no risk” i.e. program evaluation
Delegated: “minimal risk”. Typically reviewed by 2-3 REB members and chair
Full Review: i.e. conflict of interest or potential risk to participants. Here the entire REB committee meets

15. When is REB submission required?
REB’s review study proposals at inception
(privacy of participant information,
risk/benefit ratio, informed consent)
REB’s monitor studies as they progress
(continuing annual reviews, reporting of
adverse events, unanticipated situations)

16. When is REB submission required? (cont)
3. REB’ s file final reports once the study is done (final reports kept on file at Sault College and posted on the website)

17. When is submission to the REB not required?
Course evaluation only
Research not involving human participants
Research using public documents
Student learning activities for the purpose of learning about research
Quality assurance for College purposes

18. How do I submit to the REB?
Go to the Applied Research Centre webpage:
earch/index.asp
Contact Manager of Applied Research to request: Multisite Application Form
Talk about what kind of information an applicant would have to outline on the Multisite form.

19. What should I be aware of when submitting to the REB?
REB committee knowledge is only based upon the CLARITY of your study proposal and the COMPLETENESS of your REB application.
Committee members are often outside of the applicant’s discipline so the applicant must write the application so it can be clearly understood.
Key element: how HUMAN SUBJECTS are treated which should be the FOCUS of your proposal.

20. Some Common Concerns Conflict of interest statement
Use of “informed” consent documents
Vulnerable group protections
Coercion: i.e. use of college students/class

21. Faculty Role In Student Projects
Faculty is sponsor/supervisor of student work
Faculty signature on the student research application to the REB means shared accountability from start to finish of the project.
Identify each research team member’s role

22. Suggestions for Successful Applications
Clear description of how participants will be recruited
Copy of data collection tools
Copy of research protocol
Clear description: what participants will actually do
Risk/benefit ratio assessment
How you have minimized risks
Privacy concerns identified
How privacy concerns will be addressed
Provide all components of informed consent
Formal letter of agreement (when appropriate)

23. Websites
Panel on Research Ethics:
TCPS Core 2: Tutorial:
National Institutes of Health:

24. Case Scenarios

25. Scenario 1
Professor Jones asks her students to complete a survey at the end of the year to evaluate her course content and teaching style. She uses the results of the survey to improve her class for the following year. Who is the researcher? Who are the participants? Does this require REB approval? Why?
Researcher: Professor Jones
Participants: students
Ethics: No
Why/why not: For course improvement and not for research purposes

26. Scenario 2
Professor Smith asks all his students to complete a ‘getting to know you’ questionnaire on the first day of class so he knows which type of students are in his class and their reasons for enrolling in his course. Over the summer, he reviewed the responses from the last 5 classes and drew some conclusions regarding what type of student did well in his program. He wrote a paper summarizing these conclusions and is hoping to get it published. Who is the researcher? Who are the participants? Does this require REB approval? Why?
Researcher: Professor Smith
Participants: students
Ethics: Yes
Why/why not: Using the findings of the questionnaires to develop research conclusions and aimed at publishing the findings. Therefore, need to ensure that human participants were treated in a fair manner according to the ethical principles set out by the TCPS.

27. Scenario 3
A local family health team has developed a proposal for Sault College to track usage of their walk in clinic with the purpose of making recommended scheduled changes meet volume. Who is the researcher? Who are the participants? Does this require REB approval? Why?
Researcher: family health team, Sault College partners
Participants: none
Ethics: No
Why/why not: Because there are no participants; therefore, there are no concerns as to how human participants are treated in the research

28. Questions/Comments