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Research Ethics Board
Mandate and Membership of the REB
News and Information
REB Meeting Schedule
Application Forms and Instructions
Senate Policy on Research Ethics
REB Policy and Procedures Manual
Checklist of Research Ethics Considerations for Researchers Conducting International Research
Research Ethics and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Recruitment of Students by Instructors for their Own Research Activities
Conducting on-line surveys
REB Contact Information
FAQ
 
Mandate and Authority of the Research Ethics Board
Mount Allison University endorses the ethical principles cited in the Tri-Council Policy Statement on Ethics Conduct in Research Involving Human Subjects (TCPS). The Mount Allison University REB has jurisdiction over all research involving human participants. The REB has the authority to approve, reject, propose modifications to, or terminate any proposed or ongoing research involving human participants which is conducted within, or by members of, Mount Allison University, using the considerations set forth in the TCPS as the minimum standard.

Current Membership of the Research Ethics Board
  • Nauman Farooqi (Department of Commerce) - Chair (reb@mta.ca)
  • Kristy Bell (Department of Modern Languages and Literatures)
  • Jane Dryden (Department of Philosophy)
  • Nancy Garon (Department of Psychology)
  • Lisa Dawn Hamilton (Department of Psychology)
  • Vanessa Oliver (Department of Sociology)
  • Nancy Williamson (Community Representative)
REB Meeting Schedule, Spring 2013
  • April 8, 3:00 p.m. (Sub Committee B)
  • April 22, 3:00 p.m. (Full Committee) (submission deadline April 17, 9:00 a.m.)
  • May 8, 10:00 a.m. (Sub Committee A) (submission deadline May 3, 9:00 a.m.)
  • May 29, 10:00 a.m. (Full Committee) (submission deadline May 24, 9:00 a.m.)
  • June 18, 10:00 a.m. (Full Committee) (submission deadline June 13, 9:00 a.m.)

Please note that applications must be received by 9:00 a.m. three working days immediately prior to the meeting date in order to be reviewed at that meeting.

* Projects will not usually be reviewed other than at scheduled meeting times.

When planning the timing of your research project, please take into account a sufficient amount of time for the REB to review your project. It may be necessary for you to make requested changes / amendments before final approval is granted and you are able to begin. Complex projects, projects involving vulnerable populations, and international projects may take two or more meetings before final approval. Please plan accordingly.
Research Requiring Ethics Review
All research involving living human participants must be reviewed by the Mount Allison University Research Ethics Board except in circumstances where 1) the research involves naturalistic observation where participants are seeking public visibility 2) the research is about a living individual involved in a public arena and relies exclusively on publicly available information and 3) the research involves the secondary use of pooled data which cannot be traced to the original research participants.

All other research involving human participants including human remains, cadavers, tissues, biological fluids, embryos or fetuses must be reviewed.
REB Forms and Application Instructions (All Forms are in Microsoft Word)
All researchers are strongly encouraged to complete the new TCPS 2.0 on-line tutorial before making a submission to the REB. The tutorial can be completed at your own pace and is an excellent resource to build your knowledge about ethical considerations in research.
REB Application Instructions

1. Before undertaking any research with human participants, the researcher must be thoroughly familiar with the principles of research ethics, summarized in the Tri-Council Policy Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Human Subjects.

2. All initial applications for ethics approval must be made using Form 1. Subsequent modifications to this proposal must be made using Form 2. All researchers are required to submit an Annual Progress Report (Form 3) for each project approved by the REB. Reminders will be sent to the researchers at the end of the year.

3. Applicants are asked to download the pertinent ethics application. Once the form is completed using your word processor, submit as a single file by e-mail to reb@mta.ca. This file should include a copy of the consent form and all research instruments (e.g. tests, surveys, and questionnaires). One hard copy of the complete application signed by the applicants and faculty supervisor (if applicable) should be forwarded to the Office of Research Services.

Sample Consent Forms:
 When developing your REB application, the following sample consent forms may be helpful. Please note that these are samples only and that you should modify them to reflect the specifics of your research project.
Research Ethics and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
The Purdy Crawford Teaching Centre (PCTC) and the Research Ethics Board (REB) provide the following guidance concerning the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research that faculty may be considering in the classroom.

Both the PCTC and the REB actively encourage and support SoTL research as an important part of scholarly work.

All research activities involving human subjects or participants, including SoTL research where information of any type is gathered from students in your classes for research purposes, must undergo REB review using the usual processes and forms. When in doubt about whether or not a potential research activity requires REB review, it is better to contact the Office of Research Services or the Chair of the REB at reb@mta.ca, or 2618 for advice and guidance.

The following points further clarify and assist you in thinking about your SOTL research:
  1. In the past, it was advised that a blanket statement on your course syllabi advising students that their course materials may be used as part of research was sufficient. However, as our collective understanding of research ethics evolves, it is clear that this statement alone is insufficient to obtain consent from students to use their course work for research purposes, including that related to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
  2. Obtaining consent from research participants (students) is a deliberate and educative process, which informs them about the specific purpose of the research project and their participation, provides them with an explicit option to agree or not agree to participate, and models for them ethical research practices.
  3. Consent must be documented (in writing or by other means).
  4. Obtaining consent is an ongoing process – as new projects or research activities are undertaken in the classroom for your research purposes, consent must be obtained in each case.
At a jointly sponsored workshop on May 4, 2011, issues concerning research ethics and SoTL research discussed and debated. The key points from that session are available at http://www.mta.ca/pctc/The%20Scholarship%20of%20Teaching%20%20Learning_STD2011.pdf
Recruitment of Students by Instructors for their Own Research Activities
In some instances instructors may wish to conduct research projects using students from one or more of their classes as participants. While this is possible, it requires careful management and full disclosure by the instructor. The major concern is that students do not feel unduly coerced into participating in the activity for fear of retribution or other measures within the context of their course activities.
The REB, in its review of a protocol involving class students as research subjects, will expect the applicant to clearly address the following issues:
Full disclosure to the students about the purpose of the activity
  • Guarantee of anonymity for students
  • Options for students who choose not to participate
  • The use of a student or other individual who can distribute and/or collect paper, electronic, or other research materials so that the instructor does not see or know who is or is not participating
  • Appropriate consent forms or processes, if required
  • Appropriate debriefing materials, if required
Conducting on-line surveys

If your research project involves conducting on-line surveys with participants, please take note of the following information and be sure to address this issue in your ethics application:

The REB is aware of the use of free on-line survey software for research purposes. However, the REB wishes to advise the Mount Allison University research community that there are some security issues concerning the use of these, especially those which are housed on servers outside of Canada, such as Survey Monkey. Participants in any research project using this or a similar survey tool should be clearly informed that by clicking on the survey link that they will be entering a survey where the information they provide will be housed on servers outside of Canada and therefore subject to laws of that country (e.g. Patriot Act). For your information, there is a Canadian equivalent of Survey Monkey. They do claim that their servers are housed in Canada - http://fluidsurveys.com/. (NOTE: this does not mean that the REB necessarily endorses its use).

You may wish to include the following text (or something similar) in your consent form, your invitation to participate, or in the opening page of the on-line survey:

"Please note that the online survey is hosted by "Survey Monkey" which is a web survey company located in the USA. All responses to the survey will be stored and accessed in the USA. This company is subject to U.S. laws, in particular, to the U.S. Patriot Act that allows authorities access to the records of internet service providers. If you choose to participate in the survey you understand that your responses to the questions will be stored and accessed in the USA. The security and privacy policy for Survey Monkey can be viewed at http://www.surveymonkey.com/ "
REB Contact Information
If you have any questions or concerns about REB application and review process, the TCPS 2.0 or general ethics inquiries, or if you would like assistance in completing an application to the REB, please contact either David Bruce, Research Ethics Administrator 506-364-2618 or Dr. Nauman Farooqi, chair of the Mount Allison University REB 506-364-2281 or write to reb@mta.ca.
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