Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation ethics considerations
When working through ethics procedures the CCMC strongly advises that:
- Students consider fully the implications of their proposed research methodology and research findings on individuals who are associated with the materials on a cultural level. This is of particular importance when Aboriginal Australian, ethnographic and /or culturally sensitive materials are being investigated.
- Students consider fully the implications of their proposed research methodology and research findings on individuals who are associated with the materials on a commercial level. This is of particular importance when materials whose provenance and/or ongoing preservation — and hence their commercial value — may be in question.
- Students that require the participation from individual artists and or institutional members as an integral part of their project request appropriate permission in advance and should include documentation confirming this with their ethics application.
Advance request for participants
Adaptations of this sample document are to be used only when participation by an individual/group/institute is vital to the research project being proposed and is therefore required prior to the submission of the final ethics application.
CCMC Sample Plain language statement
This document is an adaptation of the Executive Summary provided in the ‘Project Details’ section of the formal ethics application. It should provide potential participants with an overview of the project; an invitation to participate, and the appropriate additional information as listed in the ‘Information for Participants and Informed Consent’ section of the formal ethics application.
As part of their ethics application students will also be required to submit — where appropriate — copies of Consent Forms and any interview questions and/or surveys.
CCMC Data Storage Form
CCMC Data Storage: Upon completion of their theses, students will be required to hand over their research data, including tapes and/or digitised copies of their interviews for storage by the supervisor and to complete a brief data storage form.
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See also the Melbourne Research Office Human Ethics website for further information on consent guidelines and sample consent forms.