Ethics

The new Youth Science Canada website has a great section on Safety and Ethics!

 

The following ethics forms are required for the Regional Science Fair:

• Form 4.1A (Humans Low Risk) is required if your project involved the use of human subjects and the project meets the criteria for low risk, as defined in Youth Science Canada Policy on the Participation of Humans – Low Risk (i.e., the project involves a survey of attitudes and beliefs, skill tests, or observations of behaviour with the participants’ consent where there is minimal risk to the participant).
• Each participant should be informed of the details and risks in the project, which involves reviewing with them a Letter of Information outlining the project. Follow the link for a blank Letter of Information. Please bring a copy of the completed Letter of Information to the science fair.
• A letter of permission should be obtained from each human participant. Keep these in your project notebook/binder for fair day.
• Significant Risk Approval Form (Humans) is required if your project involved the use of human subjects in an experiment involving significant risk, but the project does not meet the criteria for low risk as defined in Youth Science Canada policy for Participation of Humans in Research – Significant Risk.
• A Use of Vertebrate Animals in Research Approval Form is required if your project involved any use of animals or animal parts. Refer to Youth Science Canada policies for invertebrate animals and Vertebrate Animals, Cephalopods, and Decapod Crustaceans.

Youth Science Canada has policies governing the use of human participants, animals (vertebrate and invertebrate) and animal parts in research by young scientists (elementary and secondary school students). Ideally these policies are consulted prior to beginning work on the project; however, even if they have not been, they define what is acceptable at the Renfrew County Regional Science Fair.