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Recording HREC decisions

OverviewWhat is recordedThe register of interestsRetentionRelated resources

This article is part of the Iris Ethics Knowledge Base; you can find a directory of all articles here.

Overview

Every conflict of interest disclosure, and the management action taken, is recorded in the minutes. The National Statement requires that disclosures of interest, determinations of conflict of interest, and the steps taken to manage them, be recorded in the meeting minutes of the review body (NS 5.6.5). Iris Ethics implements this by minuting each declaration and the affected member's absence from deliberations (SOP section 11).

What is recorded

Panel and HREC minutes record:

  • The disclosure of the interest and the member, applicant or staff member concerned.
  • Whether the member withdrew from the meeting and, if so, for which agenda item.
  • The management strategy agreed by the Chair and Managing Director (for example recusal, replacement, or registration of the interest; see Managing conflicts).
  • Where a replacement member was appointed, the fact of the replacement and the reason for it.

The register of interests

In addition to the minutes of the specific meeting, the disclosure and its management are recorded on Iris Ethics' register of interests. The register supports Panel selection, so that known interests are avoided where possible when forming a Panel for a future application (SOP section 11).

Retention

Minutes and register entries recording conflict of interest disclosures form part of the HREC's records and are retained on the same basis as other application records, for a minimum of seven years after completion of the project (SOP section 15). See Record keeping for the full retention and security requirements.

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.