Research Governance
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Human research ethics and governance
Human research ethics and governance ensure all research that involves humans is conducted according to established guidelines, laws, and principles to protect the dignity, rights, and welfare of those involved in research.
In Western Australia, most organisations that are involved in health and medical research will have their own ethics committees, such as the WA health system, universities, and medical research institutes. Before beginning any research project, researchers should check in with their organisation’s research office to determine the appropriate ethics committee to review their proposal and ensure that the proposal aligns with ethics and governance requirements.
The National Health and Medical Research Council maintains a register of all Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs) registered with the council, including those based in Western Australia.
All research that is affiliated with an organisation or institution will be governed in part by local research ethics and governance practices through their local research office. This also applies to the target site or organisation researchers may be working with. For example, if researchers are conducting research that involves a hospital or health service provider, they will need to ensure that they follow local ethics requirements as well as those of their own organisation.
The ethical review and approval and the site assessment and authorisation of research projects are a thorough and complex processes that often take longer than researchers anticipate. Researchers should incorporate sufficient time into research project timelines to complete the ethical review and site assessment processes.
The National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2023) provides a useful guide to HRECs, research organisations and researchers conducting ethical review of human research. It also emphasises the quality, safety and ethical responsibilities of organisations that are involved in research. The statement distinguishes between lower risk and more-than low risk research activities.
In addition to the National Statement, the Australian code for the responsible conduct of research (2023), establishes broad principles or responsible and accountable research practice, and identifies the responsibilities of organisations and researchers in a variety of areas such as data and record management, publication of finding, conflict of interest, and handling allegations of research misconduct.
The Western Australian Aboriginal Health Ethics Committee (WAAHEC) was established as one of 3 Aboriginal-specific Human Research Ethics Committee in Australia. WAAHEC ensures that research involving Aboriginal people is culturally sound and secure.
Research in Western Australia that relates to or involves Aboriginal people or their data requires approval from WAAHEC in addition to each organisation’s requirements. This process also incorporates community consultation through regional Aboriginal health services.
Visit the WAAHEC website for more information about the specific requirements for research involving Aboriginal people in Western Australia.
The Department of Health's research governance framework governs the scientific, ethical review and site assessment (governance), approval, conduct and monitoring of human research within public WA health system organisations. It comprises specific policies for human research conducted with participants within the WA health system (including patients, clinicians, other staff, their biospecimens and data).
The WA health system’s Research Governance Service (RGS) website allows researchers and research administrators to complete, submit, review, approve and monitor research ethics and governance applications involving the WA health system throughout the lifecycle of a research project.
All WA health system human research requiring review by a HREC must be submitted through RGS. Research involving other health services will be governed by their relevant policies and processes.
Animal research
Animal research is governed separately to human research, but any use of animals for scientific purposes must be ethical, humane, and responsible. In Australia, the state and territory governments have regulatory responsibility for animal welfare, including the care and use of animals for scientific purposes.
The Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes (2013) provides an ethical framework and governing principles to guide decisions and actions of all those involved in the care and use of animals for scientific purposes. The code has been adopted into legislation in all Australian states and territories and applies to the care and use of all live non-human vertebrates and cephalopods.
The governing principles state that respect for animals must underpin all decisions and actions involving the care and use of animals for scientific purpose, and research organisations will have processes and policies in place to support the ethical review of animal research.
Research that involves animals in Western Australia
Like human research, most organisations which are involved in animal research will have an animal ethics committee, such as the Department of Biodiversity, Conversation and Attractions, the Perth Zoo, and Western Australian universities. If research requires review by an animal ethics committee, researchers should speak with their organisation’s research office to find the best approach.
Administered by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, the Animal Welfare Act 2002 provides the legal framework in Western Australia that ensures all animals have appropriate standards of care. The Act encompasses all live amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals other than humans.