Research Ethics Approval

If proposed research is to employ human or animal subjects, and/or could impact the environment through materials or equipment used or collected, then approval from the UTT Research Ethics Committee (REC) must be documented prior to commencement of any study as shown in Figure 7.

Furthermore, REC approval must be retained until the research has been completed and any documentation, training, interview, or otherwise, desired by the REC satisfied throughout the course of study. The student’s name must appear on the REC approval form, as guided by the Research Ethics Policy.

Prior to the start of data collection, researchers must submit a proposal to the UTT Research Ethics Committee (REC). This proposal shall be submitted through the Supervisor to uttrec@utt.edu.tt for consideration by the Committee.

After the review process, the Supervisor is informed of the decision through the Office of RIPS.

Ethical Review Process

Figure 7: Ethics Approval Process

1. Submission of Proposal:

• Researchers must submit their completed research proposal through their supervisor for consideration by UTT Research Ethics Committee (REC).

2. Role of UTT REC:

• UTT REC is authorised to review research protocols and plays a crucial role in protecting human and animal subjects, and the environment, from potential harm, whether physical, emotional or data-related, resulting from their participation in research.

3. Protection of Subjects:

• The primary role of the REC is to ensure the protection of human subjects from any harm, whether physical, emotional or data-related, that might arise during their participation in the research.
• The REC is also tasked with safeguarding the wellbeing of animal subjects and minimising negative effects to the environment due to research methods.