Research Committee
Research Ethics Review
Instructions
1) Ethical approval is required for any student project involving human subjects. There are two streams for this approval. Approval can be given at the Faculty level for studies involving minimal risk to participants. For studies involving anything other than minimal risk, the University’s Research Ethics Board must approve the study.
2) Minimal risk is described as risk that does not exceed the risk that participants may be exposed to in their everyday life. Risks can involve emotional, physical, or psychological harm or distress. Projects involving minimal risk for clearance at the Faculty level may include topics which are generally not stressful but may involve minor discomfort such as work-life balance in the legal profession or client experiences with courts or tribunals. Student projects should generally avoid topics which would be stressful for most participants (e.g., personal experience with violence) even if these involve only minimal risk if handled by an expert in the field. Consultation with the Faculty member, the Associate Dean (Research and Graduate Studies) and the University REB Chair is recommended if you are unsure about the appropriateness of the topic or the level of clearance required.
3) For studies which can be approved at the Faculty level, application should be made using the attached form. The form should be submitted to the office of the Associate Dean (Research and Graduate Studies). The Research Committee acts as Windsor Law’s Research Ethics Board.
4) JD Law II and III applications and graduate student applications should be submitted no later than the end of the fourth week of term in which the proposed study is to be conducted. Law I applications should be submitted by the eighth week of the Fall term.
5) For courses - as opposed to supervised research projects - involving studies on human subjects, the instructor(s) involved should submit an application on behalf of the course. In doing so, the application form should describe the type and range of projects which will be conducted by the students in the course and what kind of training will be given to the student researchers.