Research ethics

Research with animals

In association with the University of Waterloo's Animal Care Committee, the Office of Research Ethics (ORE) oversees the ethics review of research and teaching projects involving live, non-human vertebrate animals conducted by its students, staff and faculty, on or off-campus, to ensure that the proposals conform with the Canadian Council on Animal Care Guide to the Care and Use of Experimental Animals; the Animals for Research Act; and the University of Waterloo's Guidelines for the Care and Use of Animals in Research and Teaching.

The ORE develops and distributes procedural information and educational materials associated with the ethics review process, monitors animal housing facilities, and provides educational workshops and training courses on animal research issues. The Office also liaises with provincial and federal government agencies with respect to application of their guidelines and animal utilization in research and teaching at Waterloo.

Additional details about the ethics review process, educational materials and workshops can be obtained from the Office of Research Ethics website.

Research with human participants

The University of Waterloo requires all research involving human participants conducted by its students, staff and faculty, on or off-campus to undergo prior ethics review and clearance through the Office of Research Ethics (ORE). The ethics review and clearance process is intended to ensure that projects comply with the Office's Guidelines for Research with Human Participants (Guidelines), the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans, and guidelines of various professional organizations, and that the safety, rights and welfare of participants are adequately protected.

All applications for ethics review of research with human participants are submitted to the Office of Research Ethics. The ethics review process is conducted by the Director, Manager, ORE, and/or the Human Research Ethics Committee and is determined in the basis of risk level associated with the projects. The Guidelines inform researchers about ethical issues that must be of concern when conducting research with humans (e.g. anonymity, confidentiality, risks and benefits, informed consent process etc.).

The Director and Manager develop and distribute educational materials, guidelines, procedural information, and sample documents related to research with human participants, and provide consultation, assistance and support to researchers at all stages of the application and review processes. The Director liaises with government agencies on matters pertaining to research with humans. The Manager coordinates University research within local elementary and secondary schools and coordinates ongoing monitoring of human research projects with ethics clearance.

Additional details about the application and review procedures, guidelines, and educational materials can be obtained from the Office of Research Ethics website.

Integrity in research

The University of Waterloo expects members of its faculty, staff, and students to conform to the highest standards in research and scholarship. Misconduct is a violation of the principles of intellectual honesty, including the misappropriation of writings, research, and discoveries of others. Included in this category are: false recording, manipulation of reporting of information; plagiarism; unauthorized use of confidential research results of others.

Additional information and resource materials on the topic of integrity in research can be obtained from the Office of Research Ethics website.