Research
Faculty of Arts and Education
All Deakin staff members and students who plan to carry out any research involving human participants require ethical clearance from the Deakin University Human Research Ethics Committee (DU-HREC) prior to commencement. Research involving humans includes, but is not limited to, surveys, interviews, focus groups, exercises, experiments (both psychological and physical), close observation, depiction (including photographs and videos), use of identifiable personal records, etc. Deakin University’s policy’s and procedures relating to the ethical conduct of research is regularly updated and is located at www.deakin.edu.au/research/admin/ethics/human/
Staff and students are advised to familiarise themselves with these policies and procedures as a critical stage of conducting research and research training. It is also important that researchers and students are aware of the nature of risk www.deakin.edu.au/research/admin/ethics/human/forms/ surrounding their research to determine whether an ethics application is eligible for Expedited Review through the Faculty HEAG process, or whether the application will be required to be submitted to the full DUHREC committee for review.
Expedited Review is a process of ethical review that is suitable only for low-risk projects. It is conducted by Faculty-based Human Ethics Advisory Groups (HEAGs) and the Faculty of Arts and Education HEAG review all low risk applications for research to be conducted in that Faculty. Generally, low-risk applications are approved faster through an Expedited Review process, however it is important to realise that ‘obtaining an expedient ethics review’ in not a legitimate reason for applying for expedited review. Research which not low risk must apply for ethics approval through the full DUHREC process www.deakin.edu.au/research/admin/ethics/human/submission-instructions.php
Faculty of Arts and Education staff and students who are undertaking low-risk applications that are not part of a multi-centre or co-ordinated review process, may wish to make an application for Expedited Review directly through the Faculty Human Ethics Advisory Group (HEAG). The process requires researchers to undertake an Application for Expedited Review and has been summarised in the Expedited Review Flowchart .
The Faculty HEAG will first undertake a preliminary assessment of the application to determine if an application for Expedited Review is genuinely low-risk. If the application is determined to be low risk, the Faculty HEAG will perform the ethical review of the application and a response will be forwarded to the researcher in a timely manner. If the application is determined to be greater than low risk, the Faculty HEAG cannot consider the application and will forward the application to Deakin University's Human Research Ethics Committee (DU-HREC) for consideration. The researcher will also be notified that this has occurred. Please note that for the Expedited Review process to work effectively only complete applications will be considered by the Faculty HEAG. Applications that are incomplete will be promptly returned to the researcher.
1. Please submit one single-sided hard copy of the complete application
(i.e. the six documents above, including all required signatures) to
the Faculty of Arts and Education, HEAG Secretary Ms Josephine Wee,
2. These applications can be made at any time.
3. Enquiries to josephine.wee@deakin.edu.au
