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Research Ethics and Data Collection
The Standing Committee for Research Ethics is responsible for reviewing research studies and ensuring their compliance with approved ethical standards and requirements, thereby contributing to the protection of participants’ rights, privacy, and safety and promoting responsible research practices.
First: Research Ethics Approval Requests
Research ethics approval must be obtained before commencing research activities or collecting data whenever required by the nature of the study, including studies involving human participants, surveys, interviews, or other data collection methods.
Requirements for Research Ethics Approval
Researchers must submit the following documents:
- A completed, signed, and dated Research Ethics Approval Application Form by the Principal Investigator (Form No. 1).
- The Participant Information and Consent for Participation and Data Use Form (Form No. 2).
- The data collection instrument, such as a questionnaire or interview questions, as applicable, in its final version.
- A Research Proposal/Protocol, including the study objectives, methodology, study population, sample, and procedures.
- The Curriculum Vitae (CV) of the Principal Investigator and co-investigators.
- Any additional documents requested by the Committee based on the nature of the study.
Second: Data Collection for Research Purposes
The University allows researchers to apply for permission to collect data for research purposes from the University community, including students, faculty members, employees, and other target groups, through surveys, interviews, or other data collection methods, in accordance with approved procedures and requirements.
Requirements for Data Collection Requests
Researchers must submit the following documents:
- A completed, signed, and dated Data Collection Request Form by the Principal Investigator (Form No. 4).
- Research Ethics Approval (issued by the University’s Standing Committee for Research Ethics for researchers affiliated with the University, or by the researcher’s home institution for researchers from outside the University).
- The Participant Information and Consent for Participation and Data Use Form (Form No. 2).
- The data collection instrument, such as a questionnaire or interview questions, as applicable, in its final version.
- A Research Proposal/Protocol, including the study objectives, methodology, study population, sample, and procedures.
- The Curriculum Vitae (CV) of the Principal Investigator and co-investigators.
- Any additional documents requested by the Committee based on the nature of the study.
Application Submission Process
First: Researchers Affiliated with the University
Research Ethics Approval and Data Collection requests must be submitted through the designated email address of the Principal Investigator’s College, as follows:
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College |
Designated Email for Applications |
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College of Computing and Informatics |
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College of Health Sciences |
|
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College of Administrative and Financial Sciences |
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College of Science and Theoretical Studies |
The College receives the application, verifies the completeness of the required forms and supporting documents, completes the applicable procedures, and forwards the application to the Standing Committee for Research Ethics.
Second: Researchers from Outside the University
Applications from researchers outside the University who wish to conduct research or collect data from the University community must be submitted to the Standing Committee for Research Ethics via:
The required forms and supporting documents must be attached according to the type of request.
Important Notes
- Applications must be submitted and all required approvals obtained before commencing data collection.
- The data collection instrument used in the study must correspond to the version that was approved.
- Any changes to the study or data collection instruments after approval must be handled in accordance with the approved procedures by submitting a modification request using Form No. 3.
- Research Ethics Approval does not automatically constitute permission to collect data from the University community it is require to get the data collection approval.
- Researchers must comply with all applicable regulations and policies concerning data privacy, protection, and confidentiality.
Forms and Guidelines
FAQs
No. If the study requires research ethics approval, approval must be obtained before data collection begins.
No. If the study targets the University community, the researcher must complete the Data Collection Permission process before administering the research instrument.
Research Ethics Approval addresses the ethical aspects of the study and the protection of participants, their privacy, and their data. Data Collection Permission authorizes the researcher to conduct the study involving the intended target group within the University community.
The application must be submitted to the designated email address of the Principal Investigator’s College, as listed above.
The application must be submitted to the Standing Committee for Research Ethics via IRB@seu.edu.sa, together with all required supporting documents.
No. All required forms and supporting documents must be completed before submission. Missing requirements may delay the review process.
Research ethics approval is valid for one year from the date of issue.