This article is part of the Iris Ethics Knowledge Base; you can find a directory of all articles here.
Overview
Pre-review is early engagement with the Iris Ethics HREC before a formal application is submitted, intended to identify ethical issues sooner, improve application quality, and reduce avoidable delay once formal review begins. It is not an approval of anything: no activity involving participants may commence on the strength of pre-review discussion alone, and the advice given does not bind the outcome of the formal review. Contrast it with Blanket approval, which is an approval outcome covering repeated activity, not a conversation that precedes an application.
When early engagement is useful
Contacting Iris Ethics before submitting a formal application is particularly useful where:
- The research/evaluation involves a novel design or technique that does not fit neatly within a standard review category, for example a Developmental evaluation or a project combining methods across market research and social research
- The researcher/evaluator is uncertain which review pathway applies (see Types of ethical review)
- The research/evaluation involves populations or contexts that raise complex ethical considerations, such as those addressed in Specific populations
- The researcher/evaluator wants to discuss a proposed consent or data management approach before committing to it in a formal application
What early engagement is not
Early engagement does not substitute for formal review, does not authorise any activity involving participants, and does not bind the outcome of the formal review; the Panel may reach a different conclusion once the complete application is before it, particularly if the application differs from what was discussed or if the Panel weighs relevant factors differently. Nothing said informally displaces the requirement that approval be obtained before research involving participants begins (NS 5.1.6).
Making the most of early engagement
Contact is most useful when it is specific: a description of the proposed research and the precise question or uncertainty to be discussed, rather than a request for a general read of the project. Researchers planning complex or novel projects should build time for this conversation into their project timeline, since the formal review clock only starts once a complete application is submitted; see Types of ethical review for the timeframes that then apply.
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.