Who should I apply for ethical clearance?

All staff members and students of the University of Pretoria (undergraduate and postgraduate) have to apply for ethical clearance when they want to conduct research.

I am an undergraduate student taking a course that requires me to do research, how do I go about applying for ethical clearance?

Your course coordinator or module presenter has the responsibility to ensure that students who are required to do research as part of the requirements for a particular course, have ethical clearance to conduct the research.

Can I continue with my research while I wait for ethical clearance?

No. The Faculty of Education Ethics Committee must issue you with an ethical clearance certificate before you are permitted to continue with fieldwork that involves data collection. The submission of an application for ethical clearance is not sufficient to enable you to continue with data collection. Applications for ethical clearance made after data collection has commenced will not be accepted or reviewed.

Where do I obtain an application form?

An application form can be downloaded on this website and you can also access a guide for the completion of the application form. Incomplete application forms will not be accepted for review.

Who can help me to complete my application for ethical clearance?

Undergraduate students who have to obtain ethical clearance must be assisted by their module presenters. If an undergraduate student has to do research as part of a module requirement, then the primary responsibility falls on the module presenter to obtain ethical clearance.
When postgraduate students apply for ethical clearance, they must complete the application for ethical clearance and then discuss it with their academic supervisors, who takes responsibility to guide the student in terms of ethical issues and oversees the accuracy of the application and who is co-responsible for the ethical standards of the study.

What can I expect from my academic supervisor?

According to the University of Pretoria's Code of Ethics for Research academic studyleaders "are responsible for providing a training environment in which issues relating to ethical values are discussed freely". Furthermore, "every lecturer is responsible for the establishment of the principles of research ethics among students and research staff under his/her supervision. An introduction to the concepts and principles of research ethics should form part of the orientation of all postgraduate students. Study and project leaders should also serve as role models for students in the manner in which they conduct their research.

What does it mean to have an application for ethical clearance reviewed?

When you submit an application for ethical clearance, the Ethics committee will distribute it to at least two reviewers at a monthly meeting. Reviewers have one month in which to review your application and they provide the committee with feedback during the next Ethics committee meeting. After the reviews of both reviewers have been discussed, a decision is taken to approve the application or to request amendments. If you have to amend your application, you will have to respond to the reviewers concerns and resubmit your application. If your application is approved, you will be notified via email that your application was successful and you will be issued with an ethical clearance certificate.

How long is my ethical clearance certificate valid?

An ethical clearance certificate remains valid for 1 year in the case of Honnours studies, 2 years in the case of Masters studies, and 3 years in the case of doctoral studies. Ethical clearance certificates for staff members remain valid for the duration of their projects. Ethical clearance certificates for undergraduate research projects connected to modules remain valid as long as the module is presented and the study remains unchanged.

How long does it take?

An application for ethical clearance can take a while. The Ethics committee does not receive applications directly from students or staff members as they should be forwarded by a Departmental Ethics Representative (DER) who has screened the application for completeness and accuracy. DER's must submit applications from their Department at least one week prior to an Ethics committee meeting and the DER may impose their own internal deadlines for applicants. The review process can take one month and depending on the outcome, applications may have to be resubmitted. Thus, you can expect an application to take a minimum of 2 months from the time it is submitted.

What forms should accompany my application for ethical clearance?

Your application form should be accompanied by

• a personal declaration of responsibility signed by the applicant and his/her supervisor, as well as other research assistants/workers who will be working on the research project,
• questionnaires/observation schedules/interview schedules if they are to be used,
• a copy of the formal permission given by a provincial department of education when the research will be conducted in a public school,
• a copy of the formal permission given by a public school or if in a private school, a copy of the schools board of directors,
• unsigned examples of proposed letters of informed consent on a UP letterhead and signed by the applicant and the supervisor.

Why should letters of informed consent be printed on UP letterheads?

When you do your research, you are associated with the University of Pretoria and the data that you collect becomes the property of the University once you have completed the research and your formal degree. For example, before you submit your dissertation/thesis, you have to hand over all raw data to your supervisor or Head of Department. For these reasons, the University of Pretoria wishes to maintain a high professional and ethical standard concerning all research activities completed under its auspices.

Can someone from the Ethics committee check my application for ethical clearance before I submit it for review?

Although we would like to render a personal service, there are too many students in the Faculty of Education to personally check applications before they are submitted. Students are encouraged to discuss their uncertainties with their supervisors before submission.

Should the letters of informed consent to my participants be signed when I submit my application for ethical clearance?

No. The Ethics committee would prefer that you do not approach your participants before your study has been approved by the Ethics committee. The Ethics committee scrutinises the content of the letters in which participants are invited to participate before they are given to participants to ensure that the requirements for informed consent are met. Thus, you should wait for the Ethics committee's feedback before you ask for participants' informed consent. Letters in which schools, organisations and institutions give you permission to approach participants or allow you entry into the institution should be signed to indicate that you have permission to conduct the research.

What is the difference between the title on the ethics clearance certificate and the title registered at the Postgraduate Committee?

When you apply for ethical clearance, we use the title you provide to issue your clearance certificate for the study. Your dissertation title is also registered with the Postgraduate Commitee in the Faculty of Education and your ethics clearance certificate title must correspond to the one registered with the Postgraduate Committee. If your clearance certificate has a different title, you must bring the letter in which your registered title is reflected, and the Ethics committee will change it for you provided that it is still for the same study and that the ethical clearance is still valid. Please allow 5 working days for this process.