This information is for staff and students who wish to conduct research, teaching and evaluation activities which involve human participants. Massey has outlined the principles you must apply, your obligations, approval and notification procedures, seminar programmes and useful ethics-related sources.
Before beginning these activities it is essential that you are familiar with Massey University’s policies and procedures concerning such activities and that you undertake an ethical analysis of your proposed project.
Please note that projects in which recruitment and/or data collection have commenced cannot be given retrospective approval, or be processed through the low risk notification procedures.
For more information please download the Code of ethical conduct for research, teaching and evaluations involving human participants.
Human ethics applications are completed online. The system is designed to lift the administrative burden on researchers and to expedite the process. Please refer to the online application and notification procedures page of this website for the step-by-step application procedure and access to the online application.
Human Ethics Annual Reports – snapshots
Human ethics snapshot of 2016 (864 KB)
Human Ethics Chairs Committee Annual Reports
2015 human ethics chairs committee annual report (236 KB)
2016 human ethics chairs committee annual report (254 KB)
2017 human ethics chairs committee annual report (248 KB)
Research ethics
Massey University is committed to ensuring that all research is conducted in a responsible and ethical manner and complies with all external requirements.
Accordingly, staff must ensure that all activities undertaken by them or by students whom they supervise conform to the following Codes of Conduct:
- Code of Ethical Conduct for Research, Teaching and Evaluations involving Human Participants
- Code of Ethical Conduct for the Use of Animals for Research, Testing and Teaching
- Code of Conduct for Research involving the Importation or Development of Low Risk Genetically Modified Organisms using Recombinant DNA
The responsible conduct of research memo Responsible conduct of research memo (58 KB) outlines the various Codes of Practice and relevant legislation with which researchers must comply.
Data Security: Massey University Code of Responsible Research Conduct requires researchers to carefully consider how data will be made secure. The following link provides guidance on this:
The following committees assist in ensuring that proposed activities conform to the Codes:
- Human Ethics Committee: Northern
- Human Ethics Committee: Southern A
- Human Ethics Committee: Southern B
- Animal Ethics Committee
- Genetic Technology Committee
The Research Ethics Office is located in the Courtyard Complex of the Manawatu Campus, Palmerston North. This office administers the committees and maintains application procedures.
The Codes, Terms of Reference of the committees and details of application procedures are available in the following sections of the Ethics site: