The Ethics Review Committee (ERC)

Process overview: The Ethics Review Committee (ERC) follows a structured process to review and approve research involving human participants, animals, biological materials, sensitive data, and communities. This guide outlines each stage — from understanding the requirement for ethics review to ongoing monitoring and amendments — so researchers can prepare and submit a successful application.

🔍 Application process steps

Step 01

Understand the Requirement for Ethics Review and Approval

Most academic and research institutions require ethics approval before data collection begins. Check if your research involves:

Human participants (e.g., interviews, surveys, experiments, clinical studies)
Animals
Biological materials (e.g., human tissue, blood samples)
Sensitive data (personal and social, genetic, medical, etc.)
Communities or organizations
Any activity that could pose ethical, legal, or social risks
High-risk methods (e.g., deception, psychological manipulation)

If yes, you are required to obtain approval from the ERC before data collection begins.

Step 02

Prepare Research Documents

Before submitting, you should prepare / gather all required materials, including:

A detailed research proposal
Informed consent forms
Participant information sheets
Data collection instruments (e.g., survey, questionnaires, interview guides)
Materials related to the recruitment of research subjects / data sources (e.g., flyers, emails)
Risk assessment (if applicable)
A clear data protection and privacy plan
Letters of permission (if applicable, from institutions or partner organizations)

Step 03

Complete the Ethics Application Form

Obtain the official application form from the Ethics Review Committee or online portal. Fill in details on:

Research objectives and methodology
Participant recruitment and sampling
Ethical considerations (consent, confidentiality, data handling)
Risk-benefit analysis
Outline how you will store, protect, and eventually dispose of data
Declare any potential conflicts of interest
Attach required supporting documents

Step 04

Submit the Application

Submit to the Ethics Review Committee (ERC). Ensure all supporting documents are attached and required signatures obtained.

Step 05

Initial Screening by the Ethics Review Committee

The committee screens the application for completeness and clarity. You may be asked to revise or provide additional information before a full review.

Step 06

Ethical Review

The committee will evaluate aspects such as the ethical soundness; scientific merit; risk management; and protection of participants. If not exempted, the committee will perform:

Expedited Review: For minimal-risk studies
Full Review: For studies involving vulnerable populations, high risk, sensitive topics or complex ethical issues

The committee evaluates:

Ethical soundness
Participant safety and rights
Adequacy of risk mitigation
Research validity and integrity
Data security and privacy compliance

Step 07

Feedback and Revisions

The committee may:

Approve the study
Approve with minor modifications
Request major revisions
Reject the proposal (rare, but possible)

You will be required to respond to any feedback and submit revised documents if needed. You must not begin data collection before receiving approval.

Step 08

Ethical Clearance / Approval

Once approved, you receive an Ethics Clearance Certificate. You may now proceed with data collection.

Step 09

Ongoing Monitoring (if required)

For long-term or high-risk studies, the committee may require:

Periodic progress reports
Incident reporting (notify the committee of any adverse events or ethical issues)
Final report upon study completion
Confirmation of data storage or disposal procedures
Publications or presentations may need reference to the ethics approval

Step 10

Amendments (if applicable)

If you make / propose changes to your research (e.g., new sites, tools, procedures or respondents), submit an application for approval before implementing changes.