HAN Research Ethics Committee

Anyone conducting research involving human participants must comply with applicable laws and regulations. For example, the General Data Protection Regulation, which focuses on protecting privacy. In addition, researchers must adhere to the standards of good conduct established in the Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. This includes handling research participants and the collected information responsibly. Being honest and transparent about the research and any potential dependencies are also core principles of ethical conduct. 

What does research integrity mean in practice? How do you make sure your research is conducted with integrity? The Research Ethics Committee has developed an Ethical Research Handbook that explains relevant laws, regulations, and standards of good conduct. Key topics in the handbook are:

• clear communication about the purpose and methods of the research; 
• properly informing participants and lawfully obtaining their informed consent;
• safeguarding the privacy of research participants;
• preventing physical and/or psychological harm. 

The handbook serves as a practical tool for every student and staff researcher to act with integrity throughout all phases of their research. The Research Ethics Committee has also developed templates for drafting an appropriate information letter and informed consent form. The handbook for researchers, a separate handbook for students, and the templates are available on HAN Insite (intranet) and can be accessed by all HAN employees and students.

Researchers, research supervisors and lecturers may request advice from the Research Ethics Committee. In the case of student research, the supervising lecturer or researcher submits the request on the student’s behalf. The committee's advice is binding. Research involving data from human participants must be submitted to the Research Ethics Committee before data collection begins. This requirement does not apply to student research.

The Research Ethics Committee has the following responsibilities:

• reviewing research proposals for ethical research design and the handling of research participants and their data;
• advising on review by an accredited medical research ethics committee;
• issuing a Letter of Approval for publication in a scientific journal;
• providing information and education, for example through guest lectures and tutorials;
• acting as a point of contact for ethical and legal questions;
• contributing ideas to the development of research curricula within HAN.

The Research Ethics Committee consists of members with diverse expertise. The core committee includes a chairperson, vice-chair, secretary, legal advisor, ethicist, methodologist, physician and data specialist. Each school provides at least one member, ensuring HAN-wide representation. A list of the committee’s current members can be found at the bottom of this page.