The Research Ethics Board (REB) exists to ensure proper ethical procedures are employed in research that involves human subjects. Our guidelines are extracted from the Tri Council Policy Statement (TCPS; for more information see Canadian Guidelines). Researchers wishing to conduct research involving human subjects must have their project approved by the REB before active research begins.
The following tutorial will give both researchers and members of the REB very helpful insight into the criteria considered in the process of granting ethics approval.
TCPS 2 Tutorial Course on Research Ethics (CORE)
Submitting an Application for REB Approval
The next deadline for submission of applications is Thursday, May 16th, 12 p.m. NOON.
Please see Schedule of REB Meetings for submission deadlines and further details on submission during the summer months.
Application Form (revised Feb 22nd, 2013)
Researchers interested in submitting an application for ethics approval may download and complete an application form. Seven copies of the completed form, including at least one signed original copy, should be delivered to Danielle MacDonald by mail (Campus Box 52) or in person (Annex 123A). Applications can also be left with Marion Stewart-MacDonald at the Psychology Department main office, Annex 103.
To have your application considered for any given meeting, submission should be completed no later than 12 pm, one week prior to the meeting date. Submission deadlines can be found here.
Please consult the following documents:
Guidelines and Examples for Invitation to Participate and Consent Forms (also in pdf) contains sample forms and useful REB checklists.
Some common changes to applications requested by the StFX REB are given in the attached pdf.
Fleisch-Kincaid analysis: Question 13 on the REB application deals with Plain Language Usage. If you are concerned about the reading/comprehension level of your participants, Microsoft offers an analysis tool that can assess the grade level of a document. You may find this useful to determine if the content of your research is approriate for the participants involved. Click here for instructions on how to activate this feature in Microsoft word.
Expedited Reviews
Click the following link for information regarding Expedited Reviews.
What do I need to know once approval has been granted?
If necessary, researchers are responsible for notifying the Research Grants Office when initial REB approval has been granted. After initial approval, the REB administrative assistant will notify the RGO after the anniversary report has been received (see "Anniversary dates" below) as to whether or not approval has been extended for another year.
Anniversary dates: You are required to submit reports to the REB on or before the anniversary date. This will be required each year following approval until the project is reported to be complete. It is the responsibility of the principal investigator to have these reports completed and submitted on time. You will be reminded of this obligation as the anniversary of original approval approaches.
If a project is not officially closed with the REB before the next anniversary date, the principal investigator will receive a Notice of Approaching Anniversary. The project can be formally declared as complete at that time.
Protocol changes: The principal investigator is obligated to inform the REB as soon as is possible with respect to protocol changes that affect the informed consent of participants (TCPS 2- Article 3.3). In general, researchers should inform the REB of any changes to protocol.
All protocol changes must be approved by the REB before they may be implemented.
Requests for changes in protocol can be made by contacting the REB Chair. Principal investigators should consider the changes in the levels of risk and vulnerability of the participants and how they plan to address these changes.
You may use the following email template to send an email to the Chair requesting a change in protocol. You will need to fill in the information specific to your project.
In accordance with new Tri-Council policy, all undergraduate projects involving research with human participants will have to pass through the StFX REB. The StFX REB will operate in close consultation with the Departmental, School or Program REBs so that projects may be reviewed as efficiently as possible.
The StFX REB does not wish to delay undergraduate students and every effort will be made to review these projects in an efficient manner. However, special attention will be paid to research projects involving high risk and/or particularly vulnerable groups of particiapnts.
Further information
REB Policy Statement (St. FX)
More information on Canadian consultation and deliberative bodies, ethical research as it pertains to Aboriginal peoples and other sites of interest can be found in the menu near the top left of this page.
Questions or concerns
If you have any general or specific questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact either Leona English or Danielle MacDonald by email or phone. Or email reb@stfx.ca.
