Alright! Here is tip #1 to help get your ethics application approved!! (**Please note, I am assuming your project is ethical, and no one here is trying to pull a Stanley Milgram?!).
What Does an Ethics Committee Care About?
LOTS. But one major concern a Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) wants to see addressed in your ethics application (based on Chapter 2.1 of the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2007) is:
Whether there are any risks associated with your research project (and how likely and severe those risks are).
Why your project is so important that it justifies any risks to participants (👋 to everyone who has completed my workshop - this information should be in your "killer opener"!)
What are you going to do to minimise any risks (don't worry - I've got suggestions below 😊).
STEP 1.
ARE THERE ANY RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT?
According to the National Statement, psychological research may carry three risks to participants:
Harm: this includes psychological harms, including feelings of worthlessness, distress, guilt, anger or fear related, for example, disclosure of sensitive or embarrassing information.
Discomfort: this is less serious than harm, and can involve body and/or mind. It includes, for example, anxiety induced by an interview.
Inconvenience: this is less serious again, and includes, for example, filling in a form, or giving up time to participate in research.
Generally speaking, if your research project involves a cross-sectional online survey (which is the most common research design in an honours project), and you ask participants to complete a questionnaire related to psychological constructs, there may be a low/negligible risk of mild discomfort. If there was only a low/negligible risk of mild discomfort to participants, my ethics application might include something like...
Pursuant to clause 2.1.6 of the National Statement, the research can be considered ‘low risk’ where the only foreseeable risk to participants is one of mild discomfort. As far as we can foresee, the greatest risk is that, in answering the questionnaire, the participants may reflect on [insert what they will be reflecting on] more than they may have otherwise have done so. Any potential discomfort is not expected to exceed that of which is experienced in normal everyday living.
STEP 2.
DO THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOUR RESEARCH JUSTIFY THE RISKS?
This is where you tell the HREC why your research is so important that it justifies any potential discomfort or inconvenience to participants.
Research is ethically acceptable only when its potential benefits justify any risks involved in the research. - Chapter 2.1 of the National Statement,
Your research doesn't need to have monumental benefits (although it might!!✨). According to the National Statement, benefits of research include: "Gains in knowledge, insight and understanding", and that is usually sufficient to justify a low risk of mild discomfort in participants.
STEP 3.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MINIMISE THE RISKS?
In designing a research project, researchers have an obligation to minimise any risks to participants.
If you are asking participants to reflect on aspects of their life – their mental health, relationships, anything that may bring up difficult feelings for them (i.e., discomfort) – then there are a few things you can do to mitigate risks:
1. Advise participants of available support services
I would recommend advising participants of available support services, including both crisis support and other available services. For example, if you are conducting research with university students, you can include details of how to access university counselling services. Or, if you are conducting research with employees from an organisation, you can check if they have access to an Employee Assistance Provider who offers counselling services.
I would then provide participants with details of available support services in two places:
The Participant Information Sheet
The Debrief Page of the Survey
I recommend including both the website and phone number for support services.
Support services you may include may be both generic or more specific in nature. These include:
· Lifeline
· Beyond Blue
· Kids Help Line (if participants are under 25 or a parent of someone under 25)
· Beyond Blue's Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Line (if your study is in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic)
· The Butterfly Foundation (if your study relates to eating disorders/body image issues)
· Mensline (if your sample is male participants)
2. Reinforce to participants that their participation is voluntary
In your ethics application, I would advise the HREC that, even though there is a low risk of discomfort, nevertheless you will:
Provide contact details for support services (list them) in the Participant Information Sheet (PIS; see Appendix #) and debriefing page of the survey (see Appendix #).
Provide participants with written information in the PIS that will make it clear that their participation is voluntary and that they can discontinue the questionnaire at any time without penalty.
Inform participants in the PIS that that they are not required to answer any questions they do not wish to answer.
Provide the contact details for the research team, should participants prefer to pass on direct feedback to you.
These are all examples of how you can show the HREC you are minimising any risks to participants, which is key to ethical and responsible research.
**Please keep in mind the information provided in this article is generic in nature. Please always check with your supervisor that they think you have identified all of the potential risks, and appropriately minimised them.***
Happy Researching!
Note. "Can you believe how they mitigated that risk?!" "I know.. amazing!" 😃
***If you want to learn more strategies and tips for how to write a psychology research thesis, you can enrol in my on-demand workshop, Learn How to Write a Kick Ass Thesis: Part 1 - Setting Yourself up For Success***