Skip to content

Application resources and guidance

Additional resources coming soon!

Our Human Research Ethics Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) sheets provide guidance on a range of common human ethics-related topics. These resources can be downloaded and printed for your reference. We are continually expanding this suite of resources, with additional topics added over time.

FAQ sheets currently available:

Under the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2025), research is considered greater than low risk when there is a foreseeable risk of harm that is more serious than discomfort to participants, researchers, communities, or other individuals or groups affected by the research.

At UniSQ, projects that are considered greater than low risk require review at a scheduled meeting of the UniSQ HREC, while low risk research may be eligible for review through UniSQ's expedited (non-HREC) pathway.  

What is the difference between discomfort and harm?

The National Statement distinguishes between discomfort and harm. 

Discomfort is a short-term, temporary negative experience, such as mild anxiety, emotional upset or fatigue. Harm refers to more severe, long-lasting impacts, such as physical injury, emotional distress, or social stigmatisation.

  • Low risk research involves no foreseeable risk of harm, although participants may experience discomfort.
  • Greater than low risk research involves a foreseeable risk of harm.

Potential risks of harm or discomfort may be physical, psychological, social, cultural, legal, or economic in nature, or may involve a devaluation of personal worth. Research is generally considered greater than low risk where the potential consequences extend beyond discomfort and may result in harm.

Importantly, the National Statement advises that where a person's reactions might exceed discomfort and become distress, this should be regarded as a potential for harm. Projects involving a foreseeable potential for harm must be reviewed by a HREC. 

Research that may be greater than low risk

Your project may be considered greater than low risk if it involves one or more of the following:

  • Sensitive or potentially distressing topics, including, but not limited to, trauma, abuse, violence, self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, body image, abortion, discrimination, and illegal activities.
  • Activities, interventions, or procedures that could result in physical injury, illness, pain, distress, or other forms of harm.
  • Risks to participants' privacy, confidentiality, reputation, employment, education, finances, legal standing, or overall wellbeing.
  • Collection, use, or disclosure of sensitive, identifiable, or potentially identifiable information where a breach of confidentiality could result in harm to participants or others.
  • Potential adverse impacts on families, communities, organisations, cultural groups, or other individuals affected by the research, including cultural harm or impacts on the rights, interests, values, or wellbeing of a community or group.
  • Novel or emerging methodologies, technologies, or interventions where potential risks are uncertain or not yet well understood,
  • Deception of participants, concealment or covert observation.
  • Research involving illegal or criminal activities, or where participation may result in the inadvertent disclosure of illegal or criminal conduct, potentially exposing participants or others to legal, social, reputational, or other harms.
  • Research involving significant power imbalances or dependent relationships, such as research involving students, patients, clients, employees, or others who may feel pressured to participate.
  • Circumstances that may place participants at an increased risk of harm due to factors such as their personal situation, life circumstances, level of dependency, or decision-making capacity.

Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Other research activities or circumstances may also have the potential to cause harm and therefore be considered greater than low risk.

Importantly, involvement of a particular group does not automatically make research greater than low risk. Risk should be considered in the context of the specific participants, research methods, and research setting.

Questions to consider

When planning your research and ethics application, consider whether your research has the potential to:

  • Cause harm to participants or others.
  • Result in significant emotional or psychological distress.
  • Create significant social, cultural, economic, reputational, or legal consequences.
  • Expose participants or others to harm if confidentiality or privacy were compromised.
  • Result in the inadvertent disclosure of reportable conduct, including illegal or criminal activities.
  • Adversely affect an identifiable community, organisation, cultural group, or other third party.

If any of these considerations apply to your project, it may be greater than low risk and require review by the HREC.

Important

The examples on this page are provided for guidance only and are not intended to determine the review pathway for a project. The final assessment of a project's risk level and appropriate review pathway can only be made through the administration and risk evaluation process, based on the information provided in the ethics application.

Please contact the Ethics Office before commencing an application if your research involves any of the following:

  • Animal-to-human xenotransplantation
  • Genomic research
  • Forensic patients or involuntary patients
  • Clinical trials
  • Members of the veteran community
  • Research conducted by parents or guardians involving their own children.

For further guidance, refer to Chapters 2.1 and Section 4 of the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2025).

 

Some research involving humans and/or human data may be eligible for exemption. A HRE application must be submitted to the UniSQ Ethics Office for an exemption assessment to be made and a formal exemption granted. Research must not commence until an official exemption has been granted by the UniSQ HREC.

A Human Research project may be eligible for exemption from ethics review if it carries a lower risk to participants or the community and meets one or more of the following criteria:

1. involves the use of collections of information or data from which all personal identifiers (non-identifiable) have been removed prior to being received by the researchers and where researchers explicitly agree:

(a) not to attempt to re-identify those with whom the information or data is associated;

(b) to take all reasonable steps to prevent re-identification of the information or data for unauthorised purposes or access to the information or data by those who are not authorised; and

(c) that any sharing of any Research data during or after the project will not create any additional risks or re-identification of the information or data.

2. the research is restricted to surveys and observation of public behaviour using information that was or will be collected and recorded without personal identifiers and is highly unlikely to cause distress to anyone associated with the information or the outcomes of the research.

3. is conducted as a part of an educational training program in which the Research Activity is for training purposes only and where any outcomes or documentation are for program use only.

4. uses only information that is publicly available through a mechanism set out by legislation or regulation and that is protected by law, such as mandatory reporting information, information obtained from registries of births and deaths, coronial investigations, or reports of the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Research that involves the use of personal information without consent cannot be granted an exemption from ethics review because, to conduct such research, a waiver of the requirement for consent would need to be granted the UniSQ HREC.

Advice on exemption should be sought from the Ethics team in the Office of Research.

Contact the Ethics Office

At UniSQ, all autoethnographic research projects must be submitted to the Ethics Office via RISE – Ethics Monitor for ethics review and approval. This requirement applies even if the research appears to focus solely on the researcher’s personal experiences.

Autoethnography is a form of human research. By its nature, it often involves reflecting on personal experiences that may intersect with others' identities, events, or organisations, even if these are not explicitly named. Such elements introduce potential ethical risks to both the researcher and others who may be indirectly implicated. Therefore, ethics approval is required to ensure appropriate ethical oversight and to meet the expectations of academic publishing bodies, many of which now require evidence of ethics approval for autoethnographic submissions.

Researchers, supervisors, and students are advised to plan accordingly and seek ethics approval prior to commencing any autoethnographic research. Ethics approval cannot be granted retrospectively.

Please use the steps provided under Submission processes and reporting on how to submit a new application for your autoethnography project.

For further guidance about why ethics is needed for autoethnographic research, please refer to the FAQ sheet below.

If additional assistance is required, we recommend attending one of our regular drop in sessions or contacting the Ethics Office directly.

 

The National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2025) requires researchers to identify, assess and appropriately manage the potential benefits, risks and burdens associated with their research. Most research involves some level of burden, discomfort and/or potential harm. Research is ethically acceptable only when its likely benefits justify any foreseeable risks and burdens.

Ethics review involves assessing whether the anticipated benefits of the research are sufficient to justify any foreseeable risks and burdens. When completing an ethics application, researchers should explain:

  • Why the research is important.
  • What benefits are expected and who may benefit.
  • What potential harms, discomforts or burdens may arise and to whom.
  • How these will be minimised, mitigated or managed.
  • Why the anticipated benefits justify the risks and burdens.
  • How the welfare, rights, dignity and interests of participants and others affected by the research will be protected.

Identifying Benefits

Researchers should clearly identify the expected benefits of their project and who is likely to benefit from the research. Benefits may include:

  • Advancing knowledge or understanding in a particular field.
  • Improving health, wellbeing or quality of life.
  • Informing policy, practice or service delivery.
  • Building skills, expertise or capacity within communities or organisations.
Benefits may be experienced by participants, specific communities, future service users, researchers, or society more broadly. While some projects may not provide a direct benefit to participants, they may still generate valuable knowledge or contribute to improved practice.

Potential benefits should be described accurately in participant information materials so participants can understand any direct benefits, or where there is no direct benefit, the broader value of their participation when deciding whether to take part.

Identifying Risks and Burdens

Researchers should identify any foreseeable risks of harm, discomfort or burden associated with their project, including who may be affected, the likelihood and severity of potential impacts, and how these risks will be minimised, mitigated or managed. The National Statement distinguishes between:

  • Harm – adverse, and typically long-term, impacts on a person's welfare, rights, dignity or wellbeing, such as physical injury, psychological distress, social stigma.
  • Discomfort – temporary negative physical, psychological or emotional effects that are less serious than harm. Examples of discomfort include fatigue, minor embarrassment, mild stress or anxiety, temporary emotional upset. However, where a person’s reaction may exceed discomfort and become distress, this should be considered a potential harm.
  • Burden – the demands placed on participants, such as time, effort, inconvenience, travel, repetitive tasks, or administrative requirements.

Potential risks may include:

  • Physical – such as injury, illness, pain or adverse physical effects.
  • Psychological – such as distress, anxiety, fear, guilt, anger or re-traumatisation.
  • Devaluation of personal worth – such as humiliation, manipulation, disrespect or unfair treatment.
  • Cultural – such as misunderstanding, misrepresentation or misappropriation of cultural beliefs, values or practices.
  • Social – such as stigma, discrimination, coercion, damage to relationships, or unauthorised disclosure of personal information.
  • Economic – such as direct or indirect financial costs on participants.
  • Legal – including risks arising from the discovery or disclosure of illegal activity.

When identifying risks or burdens, researchers should consider both the research activities and the context in which participation occurs, including:

  • the research design, methods and setting;
  • the participant group and topic;
  • the broader social, cultural or organisational context; and
  • whether personal circumstances, dependency, decision-making capacity or the context of participation may place some individuals or groups at increased risk of harm.

Higher potential for harm requires stronger justification and more robust risk management. Projects involving risk of harm may be considered greater than low risk and require review by the UniSQ Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC), rather than expedited review. See our ethics review process page for more information about review pathways.

Managing Risks

Examples of risk management strategies include:

  • Protecting privacy and confidentiality.
  • Using secure data storage and access controls.
  • Providing clear participant information and obtaining informed consent.
  • Allowing participants to skip questions or withdraw from participation.
  • Providing access to appropriate support or referral services.
  • Training researchers to recognise and respond to participant distress.
  • Offering flexible and accessible participation options where appropriate.
  • Utilising indirect recruitment methods where you are personally or professionally known to potential participants.

Potential risks should be clearly described in participant information materials so participants can understand what participation may involve, how any risks will be minimised or managed, and what supports or safeguards are in place when deciding whether to take part

Risks to the Research Team

Researchers should also consider risks to members of the research team. These may arise from:

  • Fieldwork or travel.
  • Lone working arrangements.
  • Exposure to distressing or traumatic content.
  • Lengthy interviews or other data collection activities.
  • Challenging participant interactions.
  • Cultural, environmental or safety considerations associated with the research setting.
  • Pre-existing relationships with the participants.

These risks should be identified within the ethics application and managed as part of responsible research practice and broader institutional safety requirements.

Further Information

For more information, refer to Chapter 2.1 (Risk and Benefit) of the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2025). If you are unsure whether your project may be considered greater than low risk, please refer to our Is My Research Greater Than Low Risk? guidance page.

Contact the Ethics Office

Good research data management is an essential component of ethical and responsible human research. Researchers must ensure that research data and primary materials are collected, stored, used, shared, retained, and disposed of in ways that protect participants, maintain data integrity, and meet UniSQ requirements, the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2025), and other relevant national data governance obligations.

Research Data Management Planning

Your ethics application must explain how research data will be managed. Researchers should complete a Research Data Management Plan (RDMP) in RISE Repository in line with the UniSQ Research Data and Primary Materials Management Procedure. When completed in RISE under the same project record as the ethics application, the RDMP will auto-populate the relevant sections for ethics review. Completing the RDMP in RISE is strongly recommended, as it helps ensure all required information is considered and clearly captured.

When planning your project, consider:

  • What data will be collected and why it is needed.
  • Where data will be stored and who will have access.
  • How privacy and confidentiality will be protected.
  • Whether data may be shared or used in future research.
  • Applicable retention requirements and disposal arrangements.

Digital and AI Tools

Any online software, digital platform, or AI tool used for collecting, storing, sharing, transcribing, processing, or analysing research data must be identified within the ethics application. Researchers are responsible for ensuring that any digital or AI tools planned to be used in their research are approved by UniSQ ITDS and for confirming the approval status of those tools before submitting their ethics application. 

Proposing the use of unapproved tools may delay ethics approval and using unapproved tools after approval has been granted may be considered a breach of the ethics approval.

Digital and AI tools approved for use at UniSQ:

Other available resources:

Data Sharing and Future Use

Ethical planning for future use
Researchers should consider whether data may be used, shared, or reused beyond the current project, and whether this is ethically appropriate. Plans for future use should be guided by the sensitivity of the data, participant expectations, and relevant privacy, confidentiality, cultural, legal, and ethical considerations.

Responsible sharing
Where appropriate, researchers are encouraged to make de-identified research data available to other researchers through open or mediated access arrangements. Responsible sharing can support research integrity, transparency, collaboration, and reproducibility, and may help prevent unnecessary duplication of research effort. Where sharing is not ethically appropriate, access should be restricted accordingly.

Relevant principles
Researchers should consider the FAIR and CARE principles when planning future access to, and reuse of, research data.

Informed consent and data use

Participant information materials must clearly explain how data will be collected, stored, used, retained, and whether it may be shared or made available for future research. They should also state whether data will be transcribed, analysed, processed, or otherwise entered into an AI tool. Where future use is proposed, researchers should state the intended level of access, such as open access, mediated access, or access restricted to the research team. Participants must be given enough information to make an informed decision about taking part and consenting to the use, and any future use, of their data. Project-specific use and any future use of data must remain consistent with participant consent and the approved ethical requirements of the project.

Further Information

Further guidance on research data management planning, storage solutions and approved digital tools is available through UniSQ Library Research Support, eResearch Services, and IDTS Cyber Safety. Researchers with questions relating to research data management within ethics applications are encouraged to contact the Ethics Office for advice.

Contact eResearch Services

A conflict of interest exists when your personal, professional, financial, or organisational interests could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, your research activities or the reporting of research outcomes. Conflicts may be actual, potential, or perceived.

The existence of a conflict of interest does not imply wrongdoing. In some circumstances, conflicts are unavoidable due to a researcher’s expertise, role, or relationships. What is important is that any conflict is identified, disclosed, and appropriately managed.

If your project involves a conflict of interest (real or perceived), it must be disclosed in your ethics application. The HREC will assess the conflict and, where necessary, advise on management strategies to protect the integrity of the research and the welfare of participants. 

When in doubt, disclose. Transparency is essential to maintaining trust in the research process. 

Important: Any conflict of interest disclosed in an ethics application must also be declared through the University's Conflict of Interest Disclosure Hub form. Disclosure to the HREC does not replace this separate institutional requirement.

For further guidance, refer to the Conflicts of Interest information on the UniSQ Research Integrity webpage and the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2025), Sections 5.3.11–5.3.12 and Chapter 5.6.

 

Contact the Ethics Office

Who needs to obtain permission?

Anyone (including Researchers external to UniSQ) wishing to invite UniSQ staff and/or students to participate in research (e.g. participation in surveys, interview, focus groups, use of existing data, etc) must obtain permission from the relevant responsible officer at UniSQ to do so.

Obtaining permission at UniSQ

Before inviting UniSQ staff and/or students to participate in research, please contact the responsible officer at UniSQ to request permission, as per below:

The following details should be included in your request for permission:

  • evidence of HREC approval (only required for requests to PVC(RD&C))
  • project title
  • principal/ chief investigator name
  • principal/ chief investigator contact details (phone & email)
  • affiliation (name of the school, department, University, work area or external organisation)
  • short summary (plain English) of project
  • aim of the project
  • participants groups and the method of recruitment
  • the time period when the research activities are expected to take place (e.g. Semester two)
  • prize/ incentives (if applicable)

For those submitting an ethics application to the UniSQ HREC, evidence of permission to recruit UniSQ students must be provided within your UniSQ human research ethics application.

Contact the Ethics Office