Human Research Ethics Committee Complaints Policy
Appeals by Researchers Against Committee Decisions
Applicants who wish to appeal against a decision of the Committee may make a formal
request in writing to the Pro Vice Chancellor (Research) to review the basis for the
Committees decision. The Pro Vice-Chancellor will consider the appeal in consultation
with the Chair of the Committee. It should be noted that formal approval for research
involving human participants must ultimately come from a duly constituted Human Research
Ethics Committee(HREC).
Misconduct by Researchers and Complaints Against the Research
The Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) has developed a mechanism for responding
to complaints about research involving human participants.
Any individual or organisation may initiate complaints about research involving human
participants by making a written complaint to the Secretary, HREC, who will act as
the Complaints Officer. These complaints may address:
- Research being conducted in a way which the complainant believes to be unethical
or contrary to existing policy or legislation;
- Research (involving human participants) being conducted without formal HREC approval;
- Research being conducted in manner contrary to the conditions placed on the research
in the letter of approval from the HREC;
- Research being conducted in a manner contrary to an HREC application which has
been approved;
- Violation or compromise of confidentiality in recruitment, conduct and publication
of research;
- Misuse of data;
- Any other similar matter.
The University's Complaints Policy only covers complaints where the complainant identifies
him or herself. Anonymous complaints received by the Complaints Officer will be filed,
but will not be investigated.
Complaint Procedure
On receiving a complaint, the Complaints Officer or the Chair of the HREC may, in
light of the information contained in the complaint;
- Inform the researcher and /or the researchers supervisor of the complaint and
seek information in response to the complaint;
- Seek an explanation of the events which have given rise to the complaint;
- Suspend HREC approval while the matter is investigated;
- Request evidence that the researcher is conducting the research in keeping with
the terms of the HREC approval;
- Place further conditions on the continued conduct of the research;
- Require that all or some data be brought to the Complaints Officer for secure
storage;
- Approach the Pro Vice Chancellor (Research) to inform him/her of the complaint;
- Recommend further investigation of the complaint by the Pro Vice Chancellor (Research);
- After full investigation, revoke approval for the research and require that all
data that has been collected be bought to the Complaints Officer for secure storage.
Complainants and researchers (and supervisors where the research is student research)
will receive a written response to the complaint from the Complaints Officer on behalf
of the HREC. Where the nature of the complaint requires further investigation, researchers
will receive written information about the process being undertaken.
Researchers who believe that a complaint is unwarranted or that the handling of the
complaint is unfair are entitled to lodge a formal complaint or appeal to the Vice
Chancellor.
General
The policies and practices of the HREC will be reviewed regularly by the Committee
to ensure that they reflect current community values, legal requirements, NHMRC guidelines,
research practice and University policy.
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