Policies & Guidelines for Conducting Research with Human Participants

Note: An updated version of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS2) was released in August 2019. The UREB is in the process of updating the university policies and procedures to reflect these updates/changes.


At Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU), all research with human participants must adhere to the ethical guidelines presented in the TCPS2 as well as any policies and/or procedures developed by the UREB for the Mount Community. This includes research conducted by all faculty (both full and part-time), post-doctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students, external and visiting researchers, and staff engaged in research under the auspices of the university. The intent of these policies and procedures is to develop and support the highest level of ethical standards possible. It should be recognized that, just as research methods evolve, the ethics review process evolves. Therefore, this document should be seen as a reference point that will be altered as necessary to maintain adherence to ethical practices for all involved in research activity. Researchers are asked to contact us with any questions/concerns or to ensure they have the current versions of the documentation. The guiding ethical principles outlined in the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans inform our policies and procedures. These principles include, but are not limited to, respect for persons, concern for welfare, and justice.