Studyu Opinion of the Ethics Committee

The Research Ethics Committee is an independent body that assesses the ethical issues of a study and identifies weaknesses that need to be addressed to ensure that the study is conducted in accordance with ethical standards. Researchers must submit a study plan to the Ethics Committee and obtain approval before starting to collect data. The Committee checks that the study ensures the safety, privacy and voluntariness of the participants and that other ethical requirements are met, such as informed consent being obtained and appropriate data handling.

Submission to the Research Ethics Committee is required when the research project involves ethically sensitive issues, particularly with regard to human subjects, animals or the environment. Main situations and research fields where it is required:

• Human studies

• • Medical and clinical research (clinical trials, psychological experiments, etc.)

• • Sociological and anthropological studies that collect data from people (interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, etc.)

• • Research involving sensitive or private personal data (health information, ethnicity, political opinions, etc.)

• • Research with vulnerable groups (children, elderly, people with disabilities, prisoners, etc.)

• Animal studies

• • Biomedical experiments on animals

• • Research likely to cause pain, distress or suffering to animals

• • Research involving genetic modification of animals

• Environment and ecosystems research

• • Experiments that may affect biodiversity or ecosystems

• • Studies involving toxic substances or contamination

• • Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the natural environment

• New technologies and data processing

• • Artificial intelligence and machine learning research analysing human behaviour or health

• • Collection and processing of biometric data

• • DNA analysis and genetic studies

If the researcher is working in one of these areas, or if their research has a potential ethical risk, an application to the Research Ethics Committee is mandatory. The exact rules may vary from institution to institution. For more information, please consult the research ethics rules and contact the research ethics committee of the institution concerned.