Ethical Clearance and Class Projects
(a) At the beginning of the semester, members of the staff who intend conducting class projects, which would involve primary data collection from humans, will submit an ethical clearance application to the UQBS Ethical Review Committee. The information needed for submission of applications is available at the web link www.business.uq.edu.au/display/research/Ethical+clearance. This inherently means that the student project must maintain the same methodological and procedural frameworks as outlined in the ethical application prepared by the staff member. For example, if an assessment item requires students to undertake a project where they conduct interviews with business managers then the staff member would be required to address all relevant questions outlined on the application including the breadth of methodologies and techniques (focus groups, depth interviews, surveys) to be used to conduct the project and copies of the participant information sheet and consent form to be used by students. It will be the responsibility of the staff member to ensure that students adhere to ethical guidelines.
(b) The School Ethics Committee will provide a blanket approval for the project and students will not be required to submit separate applications.
(c) If the data collection and storage procedures for the project remain the same for subsequent semesters, there is no need for a fresh application for clearance. The approval will be active for a period of 2 years. At the conclusion of this period of time staff members will be required to resubmit ethical approval forms for relevant projects.
(d) If changes to the data collection and storage procedures occur during the 2 year period in which the project has 'blanket' approval then the Committee should be notified. However, there will be no need to submit a new application.
