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Overview
Ethical obligations to participants and institutions do not end when data collection is complete. The National Statement addresses this directly in NS 3.1, Element 7, which covers the disposal or retention of data, potential secondary use, and any necessary follow-up or long-term monitoring of participants once the active phase of a project ends.
Post-collection obligations
After data collection is complete, researchers and evaluators must:
- Manage and store data in accordance with the approved data management plan (see Collection and storage)
- Complete data analysis and reporting in accordance with the approved research/evaluation protocol
- Submit progress reports to the ethics review body at required intervals, and at least annually, covering progress, data security, and compliance with the approved proposal and any conditions of approval (NS 5.4.8; see Annual and final reporting)
- Provide a report to the review body at completion of the project, addressing the outcome, data security, and compliance (NS 5.4.8; see Annual and final reporting)
- Retain data for the required retention period in accordance with the data retention plan (see Data sharing and retention)
- Inform the institution and review body, and wherever possible participants, if the project is discontinued before its expected completion date, and why (NS 5.4.13)
Final reporting and project completion
Institutions should have a clear position on when a project is considered complete for reporting purposes. Markers that may be used include cessation of any intervention, completion of data analysis, submission of a final report, cessation of follow-up with participants, and publication (NS 5.4.12). The key ongoing considerations at this point are whether participant safety and wellbeing, data integrity, and resource allocation remain live concerns. A final report to the review body, addressing progress or outcome, data security, and compliance, is required at completion (NS 5.4.8); see Annual and final reporting.
Retention, disposal and intellectual property
With respect to the retention, storage, and eventual disposal of data and information, researchers must adhere to the principle of respect for persons, including the culture and beliefs of participants; maintain confidentiality in accordance with any assurances given during consent; and comply with applicable national, state or territory codes and legislation (NS 3.1.72). Data or information may have cultural, historical, or other significance that warrants retention beyond the minimum period, and disposing of it without considering this violates the principle of respect; this should be addressed in the research plan and in consent documentation (NS 3.1.73). Data, information, and biospecimens no longer needed should be disposed of securely, in a manner that makes reconstruction impossible, consistent with the consent obtained and any legal requirements (NS 3.1.48). Disposal must be documented. Arrangements for intellectual property generated by the project, and any rights of access, use, and re-use, should have been agreed among collaborating researchers and organisations at the data management planning stage (NS 3.1.43; see Collection and storage) and should be clearly understood at project close.
See Data sharing and retention for the specific retention periods relevant to evaluation, social research, and market research, including the distinction between NHMRC guidance and the Privacy (Market and Social Research) Code 2021.
Secondary use and participant contact after the project
Data retained after a project ends may be considered for secondary use in future research; see Secondary use of data for the consent, waiver, and identifiability requirements that apply. Any contact with participants after project completion, for example to provide findings or to seek consent for secondary use, must be conducted in accordance with the privacy protections established in the ethics approval and applicable privacy legislation, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
Related resources
This page was last updated on 16 September 2026.
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This article makes reference to the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2025. It is intended as practical guidance and does not constitute legal advice.
AI Disclosure: Resources in this library were prepared using Large Language Models with input from Iris Ethics staff who guided the scope and design. Subsequent revisions and final versions were developed and approved by Iris Ethics staff.