Is ethics review required?

This section of the Iris Ethics Knowledge Base addresses the foundational question of whether a proposed activity requires ethics review, and if so, at what level. It covers the definition of research, the distinction between research and QA/evaluation, and the criteria for different review pathways.

A finding that ethics review is required, or not required, settles only the ethics question. Some projects also need separate research governance authorisation or other institutional or government approval before they can proceed; see Ethics review and other approvals.

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