The first thing you want to determine is whether or not you will need ethics approval. To help you with this decision, take a look at the types of ethics reviews below:

 

Exempt:

A project that is exempt from ethics approval does not require completing an application for ethics review. However, if your project involves human subjects you will need an ethics review. It is only in certain cases that you may be exempt from ethics approval. Click on this link to see some circumstances in which your study could be exempt. If you are at all unsure of requiring an ethics review for your study, contact the CFREB at (cfreb@ucalgary.ca) for confirmation.

 

Note: In some cases, you may need supporting documentation for a project considered exempt. Contact the CFREB to find out if your project requires this documentation.

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Reviews:

In SoTL research, all applications involving human subject research need ethics approval. If your project is considered minimal risk, it does not need to be reviewed by the entire board. An application with a minimal level of risk is reviewed by the Chair and the Ethics Research Officers usually within 3 to 4 weeks after submission. The review is made on a first-come, first-served basis, and the time taken for approval depends on the number of applications that have been submitted for review.

 

If your project involves deception (i.e., partial disclosure), more than minimal risk, vulnerable populations (e.g., students), or anything else that might be alarming to the committee, it needs to be reviewed by the entire CFREB committee.

 

Ethics applications and approvals for SoTL projects are administered by the Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics Board (CFREB). The CFREB is a collection of university faculty members and graduate students from multiple disciplines, research ethics analysts, and community members. The committee reviews projects needing ethics approval in all faculties, with the exception of Nursing, Kinesiology, and Medicine within the University of Calgary.

 

It is beneficial to have a diverse committee of reviewers to bring a wide range of perspectives to your work. They might see the potential for harm to participants that a more homogeneous group would not. Keep in mind that the committee may not have the level of expertise on your discipline’s subject matter, so the purpose and procedure of your research should be explained as clearly as possible.

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Reminder: the board is not there to hinder you or prevent you from pursuing your research. The board is there to work with you to ensure all aspects of your research study protect your subjects, yourself, and the university.

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