FAQ’s

  1. For specific information to include on Information Letters and Consent Forms, please refer to the following Information Letter and Consent Form Checklist which can provide you with some valuable guidance.
  2. What is the TCPS tutorial and why do I have to do it? The Tri-Council Policy Statement 2 (TCPS 2) describes the policies of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). Researchers are required to be familiar with the TCPS 2 before they apply for ethics approval. The Tri-Council Policy Statement 2 Course on Research Ethics (CORE) provides the mechanism for researchers to become acquainted with the TCPS and to provide proof that they have done so.
  3. What if I already have approval from another institution’s REB? Even if your project has already been reviewed and approved by a bona fide REB at another institution, you still must have the written approval of the Chair of Algonquin College’s REB before you may commence the proposed research activities at Algonquin College. Submit a Algonquin College REB application, and be sure to attach a copy of the other institution’s REB approval.
  4. An outside agency wants to conduct research at Algonquin College. Do they need an ethics review? Yes.
  5. An outside agency wants to conduct research using Algonquin students but have already been reviewed by another Research Ethics Board. Do they need to be reviewed by Algonquin’s REB? Yes, however, a copy of the other REB approval may expedite the review.
  6. I am doing research with human subjects but do not plan to publish my results, just use them in a graduate course I am taking. Do I need a review? Yes, as long as you are using Algonquin students, staff, or facilities in your study.
  7. I am taking a graduate course and have to conduct research. I am not using Algonquin students or faculty as subjects. Do I need to submit my research for review? No, as long as you are not using the College’s name or your position at the College to gain access to research subjects or resources. However, you will likely require an ethics review by another institutional REB.
  8. I am a student at Algonquin and I am doing research with human subjects here but it is not part of any course that I am taking here. Do I need a review? Yes. Since you are not doing research as part of your required learning, you will have to submit your research to the REB for review.
  9. May the public attend Research Ethics Board meetings? No. Applications for research approval are confidential and cannot be shared outside the Research Ethics Board without the investigator’s permission. Since approvals comprise most of the business that is conducted at REB meetings, they are therefore closed to the public.
  10. What if I don’t get approval? You may be asked to address some questions or shortfalls in your application and resubmit it to the Algonquin College Research Ethics Board for reconsideration. If absolutely necessary, you have the right to appeal the decision of the Algonquin College REB to our Research Ethics Appeal Board (REAB), the St. Lawrence College Research Ethics Board. Such appeals may only be initiated by the research applicant. The research applicant will submit all required materials (the original proposal, the letter of rejection from the Algonquin College Research Ethics Board (REB) and a letter requesting the review) in writing to the Chair of the REAB within 4 weeks of receiving the results of the REB. The decision of the REAB is final.
  11. What if my project changes? Please notify the REB of any changes to your project. If changes to your study might affect ethics standards, you will be required to submit a Change of Protocol Form.
  12. Do I need to report back to Algonquin College Research Ethics Board about the results of my project? Yes. On or before the date your ethics approval expires please submit a Project Completion Form and a copy of your final research report to the REB. If your research project will go on longer than one year, you must complete the Annual Research Renewal Form and submit it to the REB on or before the date your ethics approval expires.

More FAQs to come!