Ethics Review of Research Projects Involving Human Subjects

An Evaluation of Research Ethics in Undergraduate Health Science Research Methodology Programs at a South African University

“…In this regard, Oliver (2002) is of the opinion that the research ethics review of research projects that generally pose little physical or mental risk, as is the case in most undergraduate research projects, stands a real danger of being unduly delayed through a review process characterized by exaggerated caution. However, this does not preclude the crucial role of RECs, and the need for research ethics review for undergraduate-level projects involving human research participants should not be compromised in this endeavor (Oliver, 2002). RECs usually have a system of expedited review for minimal risk studies, which can significantly reduce the ethics review turnover time.…”