Special considerations: specific populations
This section of the Iris Ethics Knowledge Base sets out the requirements of Section 4 of the National Statement for research and evaluation involving populations that require additional consideration. Membership of one of these populations does not by itself require full HREC review; the 2025 edition asks researchers to assess whether the population's characteristics or circumstances magnify the risks of the specific project, and to design accordingly (NS Chapter 4.1).
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Children and young people (NS 4.3)
Consent and assent, developing maturity, standing consent and disclosure obligations.
People in dependent relationships (NS 4.4)
Power imbalance, coercion risk and independent consent processes.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (NS 4.7)
Community consultation, cultural safety, and data governance.
Accessible consultation
Designing accessible engagement, information, and consent processes for people with disability or communication support needs.