Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (Panel on Research Ethics, Government of Canada)

In 2001, Canada's three federal research agencies, CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC, jointly created the Interagency Advisory Panel on Research Ethics (PRE) as part of a collaborative effort to promote the ethical conduct of research involving human participants.

The Panel develops, interprets and implements the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS).

Site includes:

• TCPS 2nd edition and tutorial
• Interpretations of the TCPS
• Research ethics links (Canadian, US and International organizations)

http://www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/eng/index/                                          back to top 

National Council on Ethics in Human Research (NCEHR)

Site includes upcoming events, a list serv and web forum.

http://ncehr-cnerh.org/                                                                   back to top

Canadian Association of Research Ethics Boards (CAREB)

The Canadian Association of Research Ethics Boards (CAREB) is a grassroots national membership organization intended to represent the interests of all Canadian Research Ethics Boards (REBs) and to reflect REB perspectives and concerns.

Our services

• improve your networking with other REBs and the sharing of best practices
• members have access to a complete list of the membership, and registered REBs coordinates
• members can post reference documents and have access online to the association's document repository
• provide a venue for the discussion of common issues and challenges
• members are invited to actively participate in the association activities
• provide more timely and consistent information from external organizations and regulators
• members are invited to post news and share commentaries on the website
• a rich collection of links to access cyber-resources
• help identify the educational and professional needs of REB members and administrators, and provide a collective voice in seeking the resources to support these needs

Some services are available only to members (there is an annual membership fee), but available for free on the website are:  relevant links, research ethics blogs, research ethics events information.

CAREB holds an annual conference and workshops.

http://www.careb-accer.org/                                                             back to top 

Alberta Research Ethics Community Consensus Initiative (ARECCI)

The goals of ARECCI, as stated in 2003 are:

• To develop a common understanding and broad consensus on issues of ethics screening and review.
• To increase the clarity, consistency, transparency, and efficiency of ethics screening and review processes in Alberta.
• To recommend an approach to answering the questions:
  • What kind of investigation or project is it?
  • What process of ethics review should be used for each kind?
  • What level of review is appropriate: full or expedited?
• To develop guidelines and tools for Alberta's health researchers, managers, ethics boards and other stakeholders to implement the recommendations.
• To influence health regional, provincial and federal policy related to ethics review processes.

The site includes background on the ARECCI project, Decision Support tools, relevant links, and interesting speaker presentations from their 2008 conference (Protecting People While Increasing Knowledge: Ethics in Health Research, Evaluation and Quality Improvement)

The screening tool, used by our NH Research Review Committee, can be accessed directly at: 

http://www.ahfmr.ab.ca/arecci/tool/

Presentation: Introduction to the concepts and tools of ARECCI (June 2009):

http://www.ahfmr.ab.ca/arecci/pdf/Intro%20to%20ARECCI%20Concepts%20and%20Tools%20-%20June%208%202009.ppt  

http://www.ahfmr.ab.ca/arecci/                                                              back to top 

Ethics at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

CIHR Policies and Guidelines (governing research funded by CIHR)

Site includes ethics publications and resources; e.g.:

• Ethics of Research Involving Aboriginal Peoples
• Institutional Conflict of Interest
• Privacy and Confidentiality (including: Privacy Best Practices document (2005))

http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/2891.html                                                   back to top 

National Aboriginal Health Organization

Research Publications:  http://www.naho.ca/english/pub_research.php

Includes:

• Considerations and Templates for Ethical Research Practices (2007)
• OCAP:  Ownership, Control, Access and Possession (2007)

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People

Site provides background information about the document, its purpose and application and a summary of the articles.

The full document available as a .pdf at this site.

http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/29134.html                                         back to top 

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPP Act)

Province of British Columbia

Section 35 of the FOIPP Act covers the disclosure of personal information for research purposes.  This section of the Act was updated in June 2009.  (updated sections in italics)

Disclosure for research or statistical purposes

35(1) A public body may disclose personal information or may cause personal information in its custody or under its control to be disclosed for a research purpose, including statistical research, only if

(a) the research purpose cannot reasonably be accomplished unless that information is provided in individually identifiable form or the research purpose has been approved by the commissioner,

(a.1) subject to subsection (2), the information is disclosed on condition that it not be used for the purpose of contacting a person to participate in the research,

(b) any record linkage is not harmful to the individuals that information is about and the benefits to be derived from the record linkage are clearly in the public interest,

(c) the head of the public body concerned has approved conditions relating to the following:

(i) security and confidentiality;

(ii) the removal or destruction of individual identifiers at the earliest reasonable time;

(iii) the prohibition of any subsequent use or disclosure of that information in individually identifiable form without the express authorization of that public body, and

(d) the person to whom that information is disclosed has signed an agreement to comply with the approved conditions, this Act and any of the public body's policies and procedures relating to the confidentiality of personal information.

(2) Subsection (1) (a.1) does not apply in respect of research in relation to health issues if the commissioner approves

(a) the research purpose,

(b) the use of disclosed information for the purpose of contacting a person to participate in the research, and

(c) the manner in which contact is to be made, including the information to be made available to persons contacted.

The entire FOIPP Act is available online at:

http://www.bclaws.ca