Types of research that require an ethics review by the Rector’s Committee for the Ethics of Research Involving Human Participants

The Committee does not evaluate studies that might be considered a medical experiment within the understanding of the Act of 5 December 1996 on the Professions of Doctor and Dentist. Such research should be reviewed by the Bioethics Committees operating at the Regional Medical Chambers and institutions conducting medical research.

 

Please answer the following questions. If you answered YES to any of them, your study requires an ethics review by the Rector’s Committee for the Ethics of Research Involving Human Participants:

• Does the institution funding your study require an opinion from an ethics committee?
• Will any humans be participating in your study?
• Will you conduct any experiments on human cadavers, human remains or parts thereof, other biological material of human origin (organs, tissues, cells, cell lines, body fluids) or human embryos or fetuses?
• Will you be using private documentation (letters, personal notes, diaries, etc.) of public figures in your study?
• Will you be using personal information previously collected for another purpose (such as medical records produced for the purpose of providing medical care, personal information of employees or applicants for employment, personal information of students or university applicants, personal statements) or other information of a personal nature?
• Will you be using organisms, organism-like objects (e.g., viruses, organoids), or substances that may pose a risk to humans (including investigators and supporting staff) or human habitats?

Types of research that are not subject to ethics review by the Rector’s Committee for the Ethics of Research Involving Human Participants:

• medical experiment within the understanding of the Act of 5 December 1996 on the professions of doctor and dentist;
• studies on public figures, as long as the research uses publicly available data which might be accessed without contacting the aforementioned individuals;
• studies that involve observation of public places where participants are not subjected to any interference from the researcher;
• research on the quality of services, as well as the evaluation of programs and their outcomes, as long as the research is a normal part of the educational requirements and is conducted to evaluate or improve those services or activities (and is not concurrently undertaken for an academic purpose);
• studies based on already published materials or publicly available literature;
• research involving anonymized human data that has been collected for other purposes and anonymized before the researcher gained access to it, as long as the organization of the data makes it impossible to be linked to specific individuals.