Research & Innovation

Human Ethics

Ryerson's policies and procedures governing the ethical conduct of research involving humans adhere to the published guidelines of the Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS). As of 2010, the 2nd TCPS was released.

All research involving humans, whether funded or not, conducted within the university or by faculty, staff, or students affiliated with the university must be reviewed and approved to protect research subjects and ensure that research is conducted in an ethical manner. No research on human subjects shall be undertaken without the prior approval of the Research Ethics Board (REB).

• Application Information
  
• Instructions for Completion
• Research Ethics Board (REB)
• Resources
• Student Research
• Frequently Asked Questions

Research Ethics Board (REB) Researcher Guidelines

In an effort to assist researchers in understanding the principles that underlie the decision-making processes of the REB and to help researchers navigate the research ethics review system at Ryerson, the REB has developed explicit guidelines with information about our processes. The guidelines are written in a concise, step-by-step, easy-to-read format so that the information presented is accessible and not overly complicated. These guidelines present the norms that have evolved over time and are grounded in the principles and guidelines of the TriCouncil Policy Statement, the federal document for the ethical conduct of research involving human participants. Our guidelines are dynamic and will be amended as new issues arise.

The purpose of providing these to the Ryerson research community is to assist researchers in the development and completion of ethics protocols, and to enhance understanding of the kinds of issues that researchers need to address as well as the criteria that are used in our review processes, all in a manner that is as transparent as possible. Eventually, we will be able to provide complete guidelines covering the entire ethics review and approval process, from the completion of the protocol application to the completion of the final report and the closing of the protocol.

• Guidelines for the Use of Autoethnography in Research
• Guidelines for Maintaining Confidentiality and Protecting Privacy
• Guidelines for the Use of Compensation for Participants
• Guidelines for Activities Requiring REB Review 
• Guidelines for the Continuing Review of Ongoing Research
• Conflict of Interest Guidelines

If you have any questions about these guidelines or suggetions for additional guidelines please contact Toni Fletcher, Research Ethics Coordinator at toni.fletcher@ryerson.ca.