National Statement on Ethical
Conduct in Research Involving Humans
Part 7 - Research Involving Persons in Dependent or Unequal Relationships
7.1 It is not possible to define exhaustively all types of dependent relationships, but they include situations where unequal power relationships exist between participants and researchers or where participants occupy junior or subordinate positions in hierarchically structured groups. Examples include:
- persons with chronic conditions or disabilities and their carers;
- patients and health care professionals;
- students and teachers;
- prisoners and prison authorities; and
- employees (including members of the police force, defence forces and hospital and laboratory staff) and their employers or supervisors.
7.2 Where it is proposed to involve persons in dependent or unequal relationships in research, the possibility that their relationship may impair their consent requires additional attention from the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) in order for the HREC to be satisfied that their consent is both adequately informed and voluntary.
7.3 Where research involves persons in dependent or unequal relationships the researcher must give an assurance that refusal to participate in, or a decision to withdraw from, the research will not result in any discrimination, reduction in the level of care or any other penalty.
[Preamble] [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6]
[Part 7] [Part 8] [Part 9] [Part 10] [Part 11] [Part 12] [Part 13]
[Part 14] [Part 15] [Part 16] [Part 17] [Part 18] [Part 19]
[Appendix 1] [Appendix 2] [Appendix 3]