June 1995 Newsletter

ETHICS FOR CRC RESEARCH

Chris Crossland has issued a reminder to all chief investigators, from any organisation engaged in CRC research, that the Centre has a commitment to put all relevant research which involves surveys of human behaviour or interference in the lives of animals before the JCU Ethics Committee.

The chief concerns of the Committee over social research are that people are not coerced into answering questionnaires, that their privacy is not invaded, and that all data collected is securely stored.

The Ethics Committee is made up of 18 to 19 representatives who come from relevant Departments, specialists in specific areas, and members of the community as required by the National Health and Medical Research Council. When research design is passed by this body, it is not only ethical, but seen to be ethical. You may find it helpful in gaining cooperation when dealing with questionnaires in the field to have printed on the bottom of the form, in small type, "This research has been approved by the James Cook University of North Queensland Experimentation Ethics Review Committee".

The Secretariat has a supply of forms, pink for people and yellow for animals, which must be filled out and signed by Program Leaders or Chris Crossland. If your research involves people and animals, both forms must be completed, and they will be considered separately, but at the same meeting. They are circulated by agenda well before the meetings, so that a "monitor", someone with specific responsibility for a particular area of ethics, and community representatives have sufficient time for consideration.

The Committee includes, by recommendation of the NHMRC: a lay woman and man, a minister of (any) religion, a lawyer, a doctor, and a representative nominated by the RSPCA. The permanent Chair is always the Head of Biomedical and Tropical Veterinary Science, currently Professor Phil Summers.

All members are acutely aware that they may be holding up projects, so researchers should submit as much detail as possible, as early as possible. The most common reason for withholding permission to conduct experiments is because insufficient information is supplied. Should an application be rejected, they will always make suggestions that would give a research project a second chance. While they do not impose conditions which are stricter than normal commercial practices, they are also of the view that when observation becomes intrusive, people have a right to know what is going on.

The deadlines for signed forms to be sent by the Secretariat to the Secretary of the Committee, David Brooke-Taylor are 16 June, 11 August, 22 September and 3 November.

In urgent or unforseen circumstances, research projects may not have to be abandoned because of lack of time, as David can convene an Executive Subcommittee by Flying Minute. A small group, including the Chairman, has the delegated authority to make interim decisions. Should this occur, phone David Brooke-Taylor on 81 4342 or Alycia Watson on 81 5161.

During June, a handbook of "Standard Practices" is being distributed within JCU in large enough quantities for each researcher to ask their department for one. Researchers in other institutions should contact the Centre Secretariat.

If in any doubt at all about whether your research should be subject to scrutiny by the Ethics Committee, contact your Program Leader or Chris Crossland.

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