Ethical matters

The majority of academic research work carried out in communities has to be approved by an Ethics Committee. However the type of research and evaluation you will be doing as part of project planning will probably not need Ethics Committee approval. You will be working as part of a project team that will include interested community residents, and you will be facilitating community participation as an essential part of good health promotion practice.

If you are unsure, check with the relevant Committee

The Top End Ethics Committee
Ethics Committee Chairperson
c/- Menzies School of Health Research,
Royal Darwin Hospital, PO Box 41096, Casuarina, NT 0811 Phone: 8922 8196

Central Australian Ethics Committee
Ethics Committee Chairperson
c/- PO Box 721, Alice Springs, NT 0871
Phone: 8951 6928

Even when you do not need Ethics Committee approval, you have particular ethical responsibilities in your work.

		Think about the following:

• confidentiality: information you collect in planning and evaluating the project must be used only by you, and only for the purpose of the project. It should not be given to other people without the permission of the community
• anonymity: information collected and recorded should be anonymous, that is, not related to names
• privacy: respect people's rights to privacy when they are answering questions. Let them leave questions unanswered if they do not wish to provide the information requested
• free and informed consent: this concept means that people must not be pressured to answer questions or be deceived in any way. They need to be fully informed about the purpose of your work. This process presents special challenges when collecting information from people for whom English is not the first language

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) paper on 'Guidelines on Ethical Matters in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research' is available by contacting NHMRC:

• telephone: 02 6289 1555 or
• e-mail: nhmrc.publications@health.gov.au