"Note for researchers: Please log into the EUR Research Portal for more information about the research ethics review process".
The Erasmus School of Law Research Ethics Review Committee operates based on and in line with the Erasmus University Rotterdam ‘Principles and requirements pertaining to Research Ethics Review at Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR)’, the corresponding EUR ‘Guidelines Committee members’ and the EUR ‘Guidance Applicants’. Research ethics review at Erasmus University Rotterdam is based on the requirements stated in the Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity of 1 October 2018.
The Erasmus School of Law Research Ethics Review Committee’s task is to ensure that research projects carried out by individual researchers, including (external) PhD students, visiting researchers, part-time researchers and external professionals, insofar as they participate in Erasmus School of Law’s research or publish their research under the school’s name, are conducted in full compliance with the ethical research guidelines and thus, in an ethically acceptable manner with regard to research methods.
Ethical review takes place for any research:
- relating to human beings;
- relating to (special categories of) personal data;
- partly or entirely carried out in a non-EU country, involving participants from a non-EU country, includes resources from a non-EU country, or entailing the import or export of material from or to a non-EU country (Note: ethical review relates to the research itself and does not cover the general question whether collaboration with a non-EU country should take place);
- relating to issues in the field of the environment, health & safety issues, including potential harm to researchers;
- with a potential for the misuse of research results;
- with a potential conflict of interest;
- that includes external stakeholders, among which are funding organisations.
The ethical review, which in principle takes place prior to the conduct of the research, focuses on the research design, plans, practices, and activities, and also applies to substantial modifications made after initial approval. It should be noted that ethical issues relating to scientific integrity, that is the behaviour and actions of the researcher, in principle do not fall within the competence of the Ethics Review Committees, as these matters fall under the jurisdiction of dedicated integrity procedures and committees.
The Erasmus School of Law Research Ethics Review Committee consists of five members, including a chairperson and a vice chairperson, and is assisted by a secretary. The members of the committee have the rank of assistant professor, associate professor, or professor, with appropriate competencies and proven expertise in conducting scientific research, including empirical research.
In executing their responsibilities in the evaluation of research the members of the Research Ethics Review Committee must act in full independence of other academic or professional commitments. Committee members are obliged to make known any potential conflict of interest in the context of a given research that may arise from any economic interests, from any academic, professional or financial constraints, from family or other personal links, or from any other relationships or common interests which may compromise the independent nature of the advisory work performed.
The Erasmus School of Law Research Ethics Committee can be reached at: ethicsreview@law.eur.nl