Procedures
All research and scholarship proposals, whether funded or not by internal or external funds, must submit a Research Ethics/Assessment of Risk Form to:
Completion of the Research Ethics/Assessment of Risk Form is a self-declaration process, whereby the researcher/scholar is asked to formally identify any possible ethical issues or risks that might arise in the course of the work, and to sign the documentation. A copy of your research application must be attached.
Ethical approval must be granted prior to start of any research/scholarly activity or prior to funding being released for the project, as appropriate. No postgraduate research student will normally be registered until the proposal is cleared by the DIT Research Ethics Committee.
All research involving medicinal preparations and all research on pregnant women, women in labour, persons under the age of 18, persons with physical or mental disabilities, or other vulnerable categories or members of ethnic or other minority groups, are always referred to the Committee.
Generic Projects:
The Research Ethics/Assessment of Risk Form enables researchers to receive approval for a cluster of similar research activity, for example, by approval of a protocol for the facilitation of focus groups for consumer research in the case of research and development. A Generic Protocol should comprise a covering letter setting out the circumstances and rationale for generic approval, outlining the procedures to be followed in all such projects, in addition to completion of the appropriate appendices.
Please note:
It is the researcher's responsibility to follow DIT's Research Ethics Procedures, and any relevant academic or professional guidelines in the conduct of your study. This includes providing appropriate information sheets and consent forms, and ensuring confidentiality in the storage and use of data. Any significant change in the question, design or conduct over the course of the research should be notified to the DIT Research Ethics Committee which may require a new application for ethics approval.
Where those requirements conflict with DIT requirements, the latter would normally be followed. In all such circumstances, please contact the Office of Research Ethics for clarification.
If you require additional information relating to DIT Ethics Policy or Procedures, please email: research ethics committee