Human Ethics

What is Human Research?

All Australian National University researchers (staff or students) who intend on conducting research involving the collection of data (with or about them) or tissue from human participants need to apply for ANU Human Research Ethics approval prior to starting their research. As per the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2023, human research is understood broadly to include the involvement of human beings through:

• taking part in surveys, interviews or focus groups;
• undergoing psychological, physiological or medical testing or treatment;
• being observed by researchers; 
• researchers having access to their personal documents or other materials;
• the collection and use of their body organs, tissues or fluids (e.g. skin, blood, urine, saliva, hair, bones, tumour and other biopsy specimens) or their exhaled breath;
• access to their information (in individually identifiable, re-identifiable or non identifiable form) as part of an existing published or unpublished source, database or on social media.

Further to the above, any research study that involves “more than negligible risk" to a human participant, and therefore requires ethical review, may include (but is not exhaustive): 

• studies where the outcomes of investigations/exploration of research aims and questions will be presented or published for research purposes;
• studies involving the collection or analysis of data that could be used to identify participants (including email addresses or other contact details);  
• physical contact with participants;
• any risk of discomfort or inconvenience to participants; including risk of psychological distress, social harm, economic harm, legal harm and devaluation of personal worth