Resources

Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) Code of Ethics – Compliance with this code is required for all research funded by or undertaken under the auspices of AIATSIS, the Australian Research Council (ARC), and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), as well as other institutions or bodies that have adopted the AIATSIS Code.

Ethical Conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities: Guidelines for researchers and stakeholders – This is a NHMRC publication that provides a set of principles to ensure research is safe, respectful, responsible, high quality and of benefit to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities.

Keeping research on track II – A companion document to Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities: Guidelines for researchers and stakeholders

CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance | ARDC – This resource discusses the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance, developed by the Global Indigenous Data Alliance. The CARE Principles emphasise ethical and culturally respectful data practices that prioritise Indigenous peoples’ rights, interests, and self-determination.

Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (AHMRC) Health Ethics Guidelines – guidance for researchers who are planning to submit a research application for review by the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW (AM&MRC) Ethics Committee

Autoethnography and Research Ethics: watch a short video - Ethics Edge video 5

Autoethnography is increasingly used as a way of linking lived experience and research. However, it carries the same ethical obligations as other qualitative research methods.

Although autoethnography focuses on the researcher’s own experiences, those experiences almost always involve other people. When researchers reflect on their lives, work, or practice, they are also reflecting on interactions with colleagues, students, family members, or communities who may be identifiable, even if not named. Key ethical issues therefore include how others’ privacy will be protected and whether their consent is required.

In many cases, it is difficult to make people truly unidentifiable, particularly in small or close‑knit settings, or where experiences are sensitive or critical. For this reason, individuals who may be represented in an autoethnographic account are generally entitled to the same ethical protections as participants in other forms of research, including informed consent and confidentiality. Ethics review helps ensure these issues are considered before writing or publication and that appropriate steps are taken to minimise harm.

Writing approaches such as reflection, narrative inquiry or self‑study, and activism or testimony are treated as research when they generate transferable knowledge claims. Where personal experience is used as evidence to make claims about people, cultures, institutions, or systems beyond the author, the work is considered autoethnographic research and is within the scope of Human Research Ethics review.

Oral History Association of Australia Guidelines of Ethical Practice 2007

Social media research ethics - University of Aberdeen

Autoethnography and Research Ethics: watch a short video - Ethics Edge video 5

Children's consent for research can be secured through verbal agreement documented by writing, audio, or video; simplified explanations using words or images on paper or digital formats; or by using a child-adapted version of parental information and consent forms with language suitable for their age.  The Ethics Office can share examples of best practice Participant Information Sheets and Consent Forms for projects involving children or other people who may not read English fluently. For more on the ethical considerations of obtaining consent from children, refer to: 

National Statement, Chapter 4.3: Children and young people

Murdoch Children’s Research Institute - Understanding Consent in Research Involving Children: The ethical issues

State and Territory-Specific Research Approval Processes for recruitment in schools

Research in schools typically requires approval from each jurisdiction's education authority:

  • NSW Public Schools: Applies through the State Education Research Application Process (SERAP) process. The department provides application forms, guidelines, and resources for conducting ethical, high quality research. 
  • Queensland: Requires formal approval for any research onsite. The Queensland Education Research Inventory for QLD guidelines emphasis the protection of students, data privacy, and that the research must benefit participating schools. 
  • Victoria: Has specific guidance and a policy framework under “Research and Evaluation in Schools.” Researchers should refer to the relevant guidelines and resources on the Education Department’s site. 
  • South Australia: Offers application forms and procedural guidelines under "Conducting research and evaluation in schools and preschools." 
  • Western Australia: The Department of Education mandates reviewing external research proposals through their own policy and requires approval before any recruitment or data collection. 
  • For approval to conduct research Catholic schools, obtain approval from the corresponding Catholic Education Office Diocese. Catholic Education WA (CEWA): Has its own Guidelines and Principles for Research in WA Catholic Schools, which require submitting a specific application and checklist.
  • Independent and private schools require you to secure permission from the school principal. 

Refer to the following Australian Bureau of Statistics standards for advice on collecting diversity demographic data: 

Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation Variables

Cultural and language diversity

Secondary data refers to data that were originally collected for a purpose other than the current research project, including data collected or held by third parties (for example, institutions, organisations, services, or previous studies).

The ethical use of secondary data, including situations where a waiver of consent is sought, depends on several interrelated factors, including:

  • the type of data involved
  • the original purpose for which it was collected
  • the consent provided at the time of collection
  • the proposed use of the data in your research

Data sharing and secondary use are governed by both ethical requirements and applicable state and federal privacy laws. Researchers should not assume that access to data implies permission to use it for research.

Before proceeding, researchers should review the guidance below, read more about Waivers of Consent and Privacy on the FAQ page and seek advice from the Ethics Office where required.

Chapter 2.3: Qualifying and Waiving Consent, from the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)

Southern Cross University’s Privacy and Personal Information page

NSW

Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002

QLD

Information Privacy Act 2009

Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC)

 

You may contact the ethics office to request access to examples of high-quality applications. These documents contain sensitive information and can only be provided under controlled access conditions.