Research Ethics

All staff, students and affiliates of Torrens University Australia must obtain appropriate ethical clearance before commencing any activity involving human research.

Guidelines regarding human research

Torrens University Australia researchers should refer to the University’s Ethical Conduct of Research Procedure for information about ethics processes and considerations at Torrens. The University procedure is informed by the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007), developed jointly by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the Australian Research Council (ARC) and Universities Australia. There are also specific national guidelines for the ethical conduct of research in the area of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health: Values and Ethics – Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research. In addition, University researchers must be aware of and comply with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018), developed jointly by the NHMRC, ARC and Universities Australia.

What is human research?

Human research is any research conducted with or about people, or their data or bodily tissues. It includes:
  • Taking part in surveys, interviews or focus groups
  • Undergoing psychological, physiological or medical testing or treatment
  • Being observed by researchers
  • Researchers having access to their personal documents, information or other materials, including when taken from an existing database.
  • The collection and use of bodily tissues or fluids (e.g. skin, blood, urine, saliva, hair, exhaled breath, bones and biopsy specimens).

What is human research?

Human research is any research conducted with or about people, or their data or bodily tissues. It includes:

  • Taking part in surveys, interviews or focus groups
  • Undergoing psychological, physiological or medical testing or treatment
  • Being observed by researchers
  • Researchers having access to their personal documents, information or other materials, including when taken from an existing database.
  • The collection and use of bodily tissues or fluids (e.g. skin, blood, urine, saliva, hair, exhaled breath, bones and biopsy specimens).

Ethical approval for human research

The Torrens University Ethics Committee operates as the University’s Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) and monitors the ethical conduct of all human research at Torrens. Researchers must seek ethics clearance from the Ethics Committee before commencing any human research activity.

Human research may be:

  • Negligible/low risk (the foreseeable risk to human participants in the research is of inconvenience or discomfort only).
  • High risk (there is a foreseeable risk of harm to human participants in the research OR the research involves particular participant groups or methodologies).

TUA HREC uses Ethical Review Manager (ERM) to administer the ethical review process.

View ERM
Researchers are strongly advised to discuss their proposed study with the Research Office before completing an application form.

2022 HREC meeting dates

        
 Application submission deadline   Meeting 
 24 January 2022 9 February 2022
 21 March 2022 6 April 2022
 23 May 2022 8 June 2022
 15 July 2022
 3 August 2022
 16 September 2022 5 October 2022
 18 November 2022 7 December 2022

Any questions about human research?

All queries about the ethical conduct of human research at Torrens University, including concerns about effects on participants, should be directed to the Human Research Ethics Officer at ethics@torrens.edu.au. The Human Research Ethics Officer will refer issues to the Ethics Committee as necessary.
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