Human Research Ethics Application

Application Management Information
Application ID: FP00000
Created date: 14/04/2023
Originating Application ID: 
*This is the earliest application from which this application (FP0000) was copied.
Parent Application ID: 
*This is the immediate predecessor from which this application (FP0000) was copied.
Version Number: 1
Application submitted to: ACAP University College (Navitas Professional Institute); ACAP University College Human Research Ethics Committee.

The applicant has requested that this ethics application be considered under the Greater than low risk review pathway.

Section 1 – Core Information

Pre-application conditions

The applicant/s have acknowledged that:
1.	The HREA has been designed for ethics review of human research, as defined in the National Statement.
2.	Adequate resources must be available to conduct this research project.
3.	All relevant institutional polices pertaining to the conduct of this research project should be considered and adhered to.
4.	Research activities must not commence until ethics approval (and site authorisation, if appropriate) has been provided.

Project Overview

Q1.1 Project Title:
The Relationship of Embodiment, Feminine Ideology, Differentiation of Self, and Sexual Subjectivity to Women’s Sexual Well-being 	

Q1.2 Summary of the research project:
Although sexuality is central to happiness in general and satisfaction in human relationships, there is limited research that has been directed toward identification of the factors that contribute to sexual well-being among adult women. In their Developmental Theory of Embodiment, Piran and Teall (2012) suggest that the experience of being connected to the body promotes an understanding of the body as worthy of respect, care, and protection. Disruption to this connection is influenced by the uptake of feminine ideologies that encourage inauthenticity in relationships, objectification of the body, dependence, deference, and modesty. Potential negative effects on differentiation of self, sexual subjectivity, and sexual well-being may result. This research uses a quantitative survey design to explore the contributions of the uptake of feminine ideologies, differentiation of self, and sexual subjectivity to the relationships between embodiment and sexual well-being in a minimum of 113 women, 18 years and over, living in Australia.	

Q1.3 Which category/ies of research best describes the project?
170105 Gender Psychology

Q1.4 In what environments will the research be conducted?

Online

	

Q1.5 What organisation/entity has overall responsibility for this project?
ACAP University College	

Q1.6 Describe how this research project is currently, or will be, funded.
This research does not require funding.

Q1.7 Anticipated starting date of the research project:
 As soon as ethics and any other relevant approvals have been provided.	

Q1.8 Anticipated duration of the research project:
6 Months	

Project Team
Name: A/Prof Fiona Ann Papps

Q1.9.4 Email Address:
FionaAnn.Papps@navitas.com	

Q1.9.5 Is this person the contact person for this application?
Yes	

 Q1.9.5.1 Email Address:	FionaAnn.Papps@navitas.com	
Q1.9.5.2 Telephone Number:	1800 039 139	
Q1.9.5.3 Mailing Address	Discipline of Psychological Science, ACAP University College, 255 Elizabeth Street, Level 11, Sydney NSW 2000.	

Q1.9.6 Is this person a student on this project?
No	

Q1.9.7 Institutional affiliation and position:
Associate Professor Level D, Discipline of Psychological Science, ACAP University College 	

Q1.9.8 Staff ID (optional):

Q1.9.9 ORCID Identifier (optional): 
0000-0001-6380-4063	

Q1.9.10 Position on the research project:
Chief Investigator/Researcher	

Q1.9.11 Does this person have authorisation to sign the application on behalf of all members of the research team?
Yes	

Q1.9.12 Research activities A/Prof Fiona Ann Papps will be responsible for:
Ass. Prof. Papps is responsible for the monitoring of the research and supervising Ms. X. Assoc. Prof. Papps will guide the choice of research instruments, data collection, data analysis, and the write-up of any reports, manuscripts, and conference presentations that result from the research. Assoc. Prof. Papps will be responsible for ensuring all data resulting from the project will be transferred to secure online storage and deleted five years after the project has concluded. Assoc. Prof. Papps will be responsible for ensuring that at all stages, the proposed research adheres to ethical guidelines as established by the NHMRC (2023).	

Q1.9.13 Expertise relevant to the research activity:
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Psychology (USYD, 1986); PhD (Macquarie University, 2001) with Dean's Commendation for Excellence; Bachelor of Arts (Honours; Classical Languages; UNE 2024). Assoc. Prof. Papps has had over 30 years of research and teaching experience. She has supervised over 75 research students, has been successful in attracting funding from internal and external granting bodies for various research projects, and has had numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at international, national, and location conferences. She is currently Chair of the ACAP University College Human Research Ethics Committee.	
Name: Ms. Harriet X.

Q1.9.4 Email Address:
123456@my.acap.edu.au	

Q1.9.5 Is this person the contact person for this application?
No	

Q1.9.6 Is this person a student on this project?
Yes	

Q1.9.6.1 Supervisory arrangements, support and training to be provided:
Ass. Prof. Papps will supervise Harriet’s research. Supervision will include weekly meetings from the commencement of the project until the end of the project.

Q1.9.6.2 Educational program undertaken for this project:
Masters	

Q1.9.7 Institutional affiliation and position:
ACAP University College Maters of Professional Psychology student

Q1.9.8 Staff ID (optional):

Q1.9.9 ORCID Identifier (optional): 
​0000-0000-1234-5678	

Q1.9.10 Position on the research project:
Associate/Assistant/Sub-/Co- Investigator/Researcher	

Q1.9.11 Does this person have authorisation to sign the application on behalf of all members of the research team?
No	

Q1.9.12 Research activities Ms. Harriet X. will be responsible for:
Ms. X’s part of the research project explores the relationship of feminine ideology, embodiment, and sexual subjectivity to sexual well-being in a sample of young adult (18 – 39 years) women and female-identified persons living in Australia. Ms. X will assist in the design of the survey instrument used in the research. Ms. X will also assist in recruiting participants and downloading data from the internet provider used for collection (Qualtrics). Under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Papps, Ms. X will also be responsible for the analysis of the survey data, the write up of results, and the submission of the manuscript developed toward her MCP thesis to a scholarly journal for consideration for publication. Ms. X will also ensure that all stages of the research process adhere to ethical standards as specified by the NHMRC (2023).

Q1.9.13 Expertise relevant to the research activity:
Ms. X has completed a BPsychSci at the ACAP University College. Ms. X also completed a Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology Honours) at the University of Sydney. Ms. X has also completed one year of the 4 + 2 internship in Occupational Rehabilitation. Ms. X’s qualifications and work experience have equipped her with the skills necessary to undertake this research.
	
Name: Ms. Anna Y

Q1.9.4 Email Address:
1111111@my.acap.edu.au	

Q1.9.5 Is this person the contact person for this application?
No	

Q1.9.6 Is this person a student on this project?
Yes	

Q1.9.6.1 Supervisory arrangements, support and training to be provided:
Assoc. Prof. Fiona Ann Papps will supervise Anna’s research. Supervision will include weekly meetings from the commencement of the project until the end of the project.

Q1.9.6.2 Educational program undertaken for this project:
Masters	

Q1.9.7 Institutional affiliation and position:
ACAP University College Master of Clinical Psychology student.

Q1.9.8 Staff ID (optional):

Q1.9.9 ORCID Identifier (optional): 
0000-0000-4321-8765	

Q1.9.10 Position on the research project:
Associate/Assistant/Sub-/Co- Investigator/Researcher	

Q1.9.11 Does this person have authorisation to sign the application on behalf of all members of the research team?
No	

Q1.9.12 Research activities Ms. Anna Y. will be responsible for:
Ms. Y’s part of the research project explores the relationship of embodiment, differentiation of self, and sexual subjectivity to sexual well-being in a sample of women and female-identified persons at mid-life and beyond (40 years and older) living in Australia. Ms. Y will assist in the design of the survey instrument used in the research. Ms. Y will also assist in recruiting participants and downloading data from the internet provider used for collection (Qualtrics). Under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Papps, Ms. Y will also be responsible for the analysis of the survey data, the write up of results, and the submission of the manuscript developed toward her MCP thesis to a scholarly journal for consideration for publication. Ms. Y will also ensure that all stages of the research process adhere to ethical standards as specified by the NHMRC (2023).

Q1.9.13 Expertise relevant to the research activity:
Ms. Y has completed a Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science at the ACAP University College. Ms. Y completed her fourth year equivalent at University of the Gold Coast. Ms. Y is currently completing the Master of Clinical Psychology at the ACAP University College. Ms. Y’s qualifications and work experience have provided her with the skills necessary to complete this project. 

	

Disclosure of interests

Q1.10 Do any members of the research team (including persons not listed in this application), have any financial or non-financial interests related to this research?  
No	

	

Restrictions

Q1.11 Are there any restrictions or limits on publication of data or dissemination of research outcomes of this project?
No	

Evaluations 

Q1.12 Has the scientific or academic merit of the research project been evaluated?
Yes	

Q1.12.1 What was the review process and what was the outcome?
Assoc. Prof. Tinashe Dune reviewed the research project on March 27, 2023, and offered the following feedback:
1.	There is A LOT of research on sexual wellbeing so avoid saying that there is not in your literature review.
2.	There is relatively minimal research related to mid-life women. See the work of Marian Pitts, Victor Minichiello and Gail Hawkes. I collaborated on a study with them on older women's sexuality.
3.	Where is the research question?
4.	Where is the statement of outcome?

We have revised the project in line with Assoc. Prof. Dune's comments: revised the project description to include this additional research and added both a research question a statement of outcome. We decided still to use the ACAP University College SONA system to recruit first year Psychological Sciences students, given the older demographic of students at ACAP University College. 

Note that both Ms. X and Ms. Y passed this assessment, supporting the scientific merit and integrity of the proposed research.	

Q 1.12.2 Attach evidence of the outcome of the scientific or academic review process. (optional)
PAPPS_X_Y_FEEDBACK.pdf	

Q1.13 Has this research project had prior ethics review?
No	

Q1.14 Will any further or additional specialised review of this application be sought?
No	

	

Setting of research

Q1.15 Will this project be conducted at multiple sites?
No	

Q1.16 Will separate institutional approvals or authorisations be required prior to commencing research at each site?
No	

Section 2 – Research Details and Participants

Q1.17 The following research methods will be used in the research project:

Research Method	Status	
Action research	✘	
Biospecimen analysis research	✘	
Data linkage research	✘	
Ethnographic research	✘	
Epidemiological research	✘	
Interventional/Clinical Trials research	✘	
Observational research	✘	
Survey/Interview/Focus Group research	✔	
Textual analysis research 	✘	
None of the above	✘	

Q1.18 The research will be conducted with the following:

Participation	Status	
Human beings (via active participation), including their associated biospecimens and/or data.	✔	
Human biospecimens only	✘	
Data associated with human beings only (i.e. as the primary object of research)	✘	

Q1.19 The research will involve the following participants:

Participants	Status	
Women who are pregnant and the human fetus	✘	
Children and young people	✘	
People highly dependent on medical care who may be unable to give consent 	✘	
People with a cognitive impairment, intellectual disability or mental illness	✘	
People in dependent or unequal relationships	✘	
People who may be involved in illegal activities	✘	
People in other countries	✘	
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples	✘	

Method Specific Questions

	

Survey/Interview/Focus Group Research

M8.1 What process/es will your research project use?
Surveys

M8.2 How will you engage with your participants? 

Indirectly, via an online provider 	

M8.3 How will personal identifiers be retained or removed over the course of your project?
Personal identifiers in the form of student identification numbers are only collected from first year Psychological Science students at ACAP University College for the award of credit points for participation in the research.

Personal identifiers are not collected from any other participants. 

Data are collected directly from the participants through completion of an online survey hosted via Qualtrics. Qualtrics has been set up not to record IP or location data. Student identification numbers needed for the award of credit points for participation are collected separately from the survey and are not stored with survey results. Dr. Wendy Tham, who is IT specialist in the Discipline of Psychological Science, is responsible for collecting student identification numbers from ACAP University College first year psychological science students who complete the survey. These identifiers will be stored in a secure file, only accessible by Dr. Tham, and deleted immediately Dr. Tham has made the award of credit points.

The final data set used in the research will therefore contain only responses in numeric form and no personal identifiers.	

M8.4 Will participants have the opportunity to review or edit their responses or contributions prior to data analysis or publication? 
Yes	

M8.4.1.1 Indicate the relevant section/s of your Project Description that detail this opportunity.
During the survey, participants are able to navigate freely throughout the survey and edit and/or delete any of their responses. After reading the debriefing, participants are given the opportunity to choose whether to submit their responses for use by the researchers. At this point, they are able to review their responses to the survey questions, change any, delete any, and then choose to submit the responses. However, once participants submit their responses at this point, there are no further opportunities for review, as the data are recorded as numbers and not attached to any identifying information. Participants are provided with this information both before they take part and after completing the survey (see Project Description Appendices B and E). 	

M8.5 Is it foreseeable that your project will explore topics that may cause distress for participants?
Yes	

Participant Specific Questions

Recruitment Questions
Q2.1.1 Indicate how you will identify and recruit participants for your research, referencing any relevant sections of your Project Description/Protocol as appropriate.
A minimum sample of 113 participants is required to complete the survey. 
Inclusion criteria for the research are: (a) women or female-identified; (b) over 18 years of age; (c) residing in Australia; (d) able to read and understand English well enough by their own assessment to complete a survey in English; (e) no personal relationship with any member of the research team.

Exclusion criteria for the research: anybody who does not meet the inclusion criteria is excluded.

Participants will be recruited using the SONA system for ACAP University College first year Psychological Science students and snowballing via social media.

The researchers have set up a Facebook website research page for the research (see Project Description Appendix A). A link to this page and the ACAP University College student research page (https://www.acap.edu.au/about/scholarship-and-capability/scholarly-initiatives/student-research-initiatives/) will be circulated through the researcher team’s personal and professional online networks, with a request for sharing the research pages. Any interested person can then access the research pages, read about the research, and decide if they fit the criteria for inclusion, and wish to complete a survey. Interested persons They have as long as they wish to consider participation until the point at which data collection closes (August 31, 2023).

Q2.1.2 How will your recruitment strategy take account of the ethical considerations relevant to the specific people you are recruiting?
We will be using women and female identified persons over the age of 18 who reside in Australia, read and understand English well enough by their own assessment to complete a survey in English, and have no personal relationship with the researchers.

Women and female identified persons
We have chosen to focus on this sample of participants because to date, there is limited research that has been directed toward identification of the factors that contribute to sexual well-being among adult women, with research that does exist grounded in the medical and biological sectors and focused largely on adverse health outcomes and concomitant risks (Mitchell et al., 2021). This risk-focused approach has meant that other aspects of sexuality have been largely overlooked in the extant research, and that research promotes a negative, rather than positive perspective, on sexuality. Furthermore, some measures that we are using in the study (e.g., The Embodiment Scales for Women; Piran, 2016), have only been validated for samples comprising women; some variables, too, may not have relevance for men and male identified persons (e.g., the uptake of beliefs about the feminine gender role). Therefore, a focus on men and male-identified persons is beyond the scope of this research. Subsequent research, however, can address this population to ensure a balanced representation in the literature.

Individuals 18 years and older
Individuals aged under 18 years are excluded from the research. These individuals are deemed vulnerable (see NS, 4.2) because they may lack the capacity to understand what the research entails, and so may not be able to provide informed consent to take part in the research. Even if parental or guardian consent is sought, there may be the chance that children and young people may feel coerced to take part in the research due to the power differential. It is therefore ethical to include only people who are legally adults in the research.

Individuals who have a self assessed proficiency in reading and understanding English
One principle that guides the ethical conduct of research is free and informed consent (see NS, 2.2). Truly informed consent can only be given if individuals who are being recruited can read and understand English well enough by their own assessment to understand what the research involves, what risks and benefits it has, and what they will have to do in the research. It is therefore not unethical to exclude persons who cannot read and understand English well enough to read all research materials and complete a survey.

Individuals who have no prior relationship with the researchers
One principle that guides the ethical conduct of research is free and informed consent (see NS, 2.2). When individuals who are known to researchers are invited to take part in research conducted by the researchers, they may feel some level of coercion to take part in the research due to the pre-existing relationship. This perceived coercion violates the ethical principle of free consent. It is therefore ethical to include only those individuals who have no previous relationship with the researchers in the research.

Individuals who are resident in Australia
Individuals who are not resident in Australia are excluded from taking part in the research. Individuals who live in countries other than Australia and who take part in research may be subject to additional ethical considerations, dependent on their beliefs, customs, and cultural heritage. Furthermore, the legal, regulatory, and ethical review processes of another country may demand conduct that is in tension with the values of the National Statement (see NS, 4.8). Excluding individuals who are not currently resident in Australia from the research therefore protects them and falls within ethical conduct of research.

	

Consent Questions

Q2.2.1 Indicate by reference the relevant section/s of your Project Description/Protocol that address/es consent.
Informed consent both for participation and use of participants' de-identified (for SONA participants) and anonymous data will be obtained from each participant.

Informed consent to participate will be obtained by checking a box prior to opening and commencing the survey, after the individual has read the Research Participant Information Statement (Project Description Appendix B) and the Consent Statement (Project Description Appendix D). 

Informed consent for use of the responses resulting from completion of the survey will be obtained once the survey has been completed (see Participant Debriefing, Project Description Appendix E).

Q2.2.2 Will you be obtaining consent from some or all participants to participate in the research?
Yes for all participants	

Q2.2.2.1 What is the scope of consent that you will be seeking?
Specific

Q2.2.2.2 How will consent be obtained?
Written

Q2.2.2.3 Are you proposing to obtain consent using limited disclosure?
No	

Q2.2.3 Are family members, authorised representatives or any others involved in the participants’ decision to participate in the research?
No	

Q2.2.4 Will there be an opportunity to confirm or re-negotiate consent during the research project?
Yes	

Q2.2.6 Describe any ethical considerations related to the approach to consent that you will be seeking and your strategies for addressing and managing these issues.  
We are seeking specific written consent from participants themselves for this research; that is, written consent from participants for their responses to be used only for this project and outputs (e.g., conference presentations and research articles) associated with this project. Ethical issues are whether participants have the opportunity to re-negotiate consent, whether they understand to what they are consenting, and the uses of participant responses for projects beyond the scope of the research.

Multiple consent points
Participants are provided with two consent points in this research. Before participants begin the survey, they read a plain English information statement about the research, who to contact in the case of distress, any limitations on confidentiality, and plans for future use of responses. Once they have completed the survey, they are provided with an opportunity to confirm that they consent for their responses to be used.

Understanding consent
We have taken care to ensure that all documentation associated with the research is written in plain English. Because one of our inclusion criterion is being proficient in English, all potential participants should have a clear understanding after reading the study materials that they are consenting both to take part in this research and for their responses to be used specifically for the purposes of this research, including in a thesis, a conference presentation, and other scholarly outputs (such as a publication in a peer reviewed journal). 

Uses of participant responses
As consent is specific to this project, any use of participant responses beyond the scope of the project is unethical.	

Q2.2.7 Are you proposing to use an opt-out approach with respect to some or all of the participants?
No	

Q2.2.8 Are you requesting a waiver of the requirement for consent with respect to some or all participants?
No	

	

Risk Questions

Q 2.3.1 Describe the risks and burdens associated with your research, referencing any relevant sections of your Project Description as appropriate.
The aim of the present research is to explore how beliefs about the feminine gender role and how the relationship with the body affects the boundaries between self and partner(s), sense of agency in sexual encounters, and sexual well-being. This question is answered by the completion of an anonymous online survey.

Questions that participants will be answering in the survey reference sexual and relationship experiences, which may cause distress for some women and female-identified persons. Therefore, the primary risk attached to taking part in the research is of emotional distress.

We also wish to note the time burden attached to participation in the research and estimate it to be a maximum of 45 minutes.	

Q 2.3.2 Describe how these risks will be mitigated and managed.
The Research Participant Information Statement for the research includes a clear statement of the potential risks involved in the research and the strategies that participants can employ should they experience distress during or after participation (see Project Description Appendix B). These strategies include:
•	Not answering any question with which the participant feels uncomfortable.
•	Closing the browser window to exit the survey.
•	Contacting a GP or mental health professional, or a relevant service from the services sheet included after participation.
(see Project Description Appendix B and C). 
•	Providing sample questions in the Research Participant Information Statement to give potential participants a feel for the types of questions they may be asked (see Project Description Appendix B). 
•	Writing the Research Participant Information Statement in plain language.

Interested individuals will therefore understand what participation in the research involves, and if participation is appropriate for them. People who participate will also be able to decide what information they choose to share with the researchers and at what point they stop sharing responses should they become distressed.

Burdens
The time burden attached to participation in the research is estimated to be 45 minutes at a maximum. We have communicated this burden clearly to participants in the Research Participant Information Statement (Project Description Appendices, Appendix B).

	

Benefit Questions

Q2.4.1 Describe the benefits associated with your research, referencing any relevant sections of your Project Description as appropriate.
The research project has no direct benefit for participants, except for first year Psychological Science students at ACAP University College, who receive course credit in return for the participation.

More generally, however, the information provided by the present research will offer insight into the factors that might predict sexual well-being in adult women and female-identified persons. It will therefore contribute to a conversation and future research that can assess what predicts sexual well-being in women.

Q2.4.2 Explain how benefits of this research justify any risks or burdens associated with the research.
The burdens attached to participation in the present research involve a time commitment. The time commitment is approximately 45 minutes (attached to reading information about the research and completing an online survey).

We cannot know in advance the risks attached to participation in the research for each individual participant. However, we anticipate risks may include potential distress from speaking about topics that are highly sensitive and attached to challenging and distressing experiences for some women and female-identified persons. All individuals are clearly and explicitly informed of the risks and burdens attached to participation in the research prior to agreeing to participate. All individuals are similarly informed of the benefits of participation prior to agreeing to participate. Participants themselves then decide if the benefits of taking part in the research outweigh any risks to them.

Ultimately, we believe that the knowledge gained from the results that this research has the potential to generate outweigh the risks to the people who choose to take part. Their decision, too, to participate, supports this judgment.

Q2.4.3 How will you manage participants’ expectations of the perceived benefit of participating in the research?
All individuals will be aware that they will not benefit personally from participation in the research, unless they are first year Psychological Science students at ACAP University College. Therefore, individuals who choose to participate in the research are unlikely to have further expectations regarding the benefits that might accrue to them personally from participation in the research.

	

Section 3 – Data and Privacy

Data Characteristics

Q3.1 Indicate the type of information/data you will be collecting for this project.
Personal information
Sensitive information

Q3.2 Indicate the type of information/data you will be using in this project:

Not personal information	

Q3.3 Indicate the degree of identifiability of information/data you will be collecting for this project.
Individually identifiable information

Q3.4 Indicate the degree of identifiability of information/data you will be using in this project.

Non-identifiable information	

Q3.5 Describe any ethical considerations relating to the collection and/or use of the information/data in this project.
The present research will collect data through the use of an anonymous survey. These data are converted to numbers at the point of collection and are therefore non-identifiable and unable to be converted into health information. IP addresses and location information will not be collected (Qualtrics has been set up not to collect this information). Therefore, participants' responses to the survey will contain only numbers, which are non-identifiable information.

Personal information in the form of student identification numbers used for the purpose of the award of credit points for participation for first year Psychological Science at ACAP University College will be collected separately from survey responses and cannot be matched to survey responses. Student identification numbers will be held in a secure file accessible only by Dr. Wendy Tham, IT specialist in the Discipline of Psychological Science at ACAP University College and will be destroyed by Dr. Tham immediately after all credit points have been awarded at the end of Trimester 2.

The information collected will only be used for purposes specific to this project, which include thesis manuscripts written by Ms. X and Ms. Y, toward their degree programs, papers submitted for publication in scholarly journals, and conference presentations.

Q3.6 Identify the source/s of the information/data that you will be collecting and/or using in this project.
Individual participants and/or relatives or associates of participants

	

Q3.7 Describe any ethical considerations relating to the source of information/data as indicated in the response to the previous question.
All information used in the research is sought directly from participants themselves. The following ethical considerations are significant.
•	Inclusion criteria are clearly specified in the recruitment advertisement and Research Participant Information Statement (see Project Description Appendix A and B). The recruitment criteria and advertisement material are written in plain language so potential participants will be able to read and understand if they meet the criteria for taking part in the research.
•	On the basis of the inclusion criteria included in the recruitment advertisement and Research Participant Information Statement (see Project Description Appendix A and B), individuals self-select for participation.
•	Individuals are informed in the Research Participant Information Statement (Project Description Appendix B) that they do not have to complete any question with which they feel uncomfortable. Participants therefore have control over what they choose to share with the researchers via the survey.
•	Participants provide consent at two points in the research: prior to commencing the survey, and after reading the participant debriefing statement (see Project Description Appendix E and F). All individuals therefore choose whether to take part and what to share, based on their understanding of what the research involves (as articulated in the Research Participant Information Statement; Project Description Appendix B), and then make an informed decision about use of their responses after reading the debriefing (Project Description Appendix F) for their responses to be used.

Q3.8 Was the information/data that you are using previously collected for a purpose other than research?
No	

	

Activities Planned for/with Data

Q3.9 Do you plan to disclose any personal information/data in this project to a third party?
No	

Q3.10 How will you protect the privacy of participants and non-participants in any notes and/or publications arising from your research?
The data which are used for analysis are numeric only and contain no identifying information. Therefore, no participant will be able to be identified in any notes or publication arising from the research.

Q3.11 Are there any restrictions on your ability to assure the confidentiality of participants?
Yes	

Q3.11.1 Describe how you will explain to participants the restrictions on your ability to give them an assurance of confidentiality.
Data for the present research are collected using Qualtrics, an online survey hosting platform. Because it is an online platform, the security of information collected cannot be guaranteed. In the Research Participation Information Statement (see Project Description Appendix B), this limitation is explained, but participants are also told that despite this limitation, the researchers will do everything to protect their confidentiality and anonymity, including not collecting any information which could identify them and ensuring no IP addresses or location data are collected in the research. All individuals are therefore fully aware of this limitation and can use their knowledge of it in choosing whether to take part in the research. 

Q3.12 Do you plan to share any individual research results obtained during this research to the participants?
No	

Q3.13 Describe how you will handle any secondary or incidental findings that arise from the analysis of personal information/data.
We only collect personal information in the form of student identification numbers from first year Psychological Science students at ACAP University College for the award of credit points for participation in the research. These data are held separately from survey responses and cannot be matched to survey responses. Therefore, secondary or incidental findings cannot arise from analysis of personal information and data as these do not form part of the data set used for analysis and answering the research questions. 	

Q3.14 Describe how the information/data will be stored, accessed, archived and/or destroyed.
Once all data have been collected, they will be downloaded to an online data repository on a secure server hosted by ACAP University College/Navitas. These data will only be able to be accessed by Ms. X, Ms. Y, and Assoc. Prof. Papps. Once the project has been completed, Assoc. Prof. Papps will transfer the data to a secure institutional repository and delete the data from the shared drive. Data will be maintained in the institutional repository for five years after the completion of the research (October 31, 2028). At this point, Assoc. Prof. Papps will delete the data from the repository so that it cannot be retrieved.	

Q3.15 Describe any ethical considerations relating to the storage of, access to or destruction of information/data in this project.
We have adopted the procedure for storage, access to, and destruction of data as advised by the ACAP University College. This procedure makes sure that there is no unauthorised access to the data, and that data security and the confidentiality and anonymity of participants are protected at these stages of the research process. We have therefore taken into consideration all ethical issues relating to the storage of, access to, and destruction of information/data in this project.	

Q3.16 Will the outcomes of this project be disseminated to the participants?
Yes	

Q3.16.1.1 Describe how the outcomes of the project will be disseminated to the participants or refer to the relevant section/s of your Project Description/Protocol which deals with this matter.
Results of the research will be presented in a plain language summary posted to the Facebook and ACAP University College student research pages  (https://www.acap.edu.au/about/scholarship-and-capability/scholarly-initiatives/student-research-initiatives/  and https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090736434445) once Ms. X and Ms. Y have received the results for their theses (end of December, 2023).	

Q3.16.1.2 Describe any ethical considerations relating to any dissemination of outcomes to the participants.
Given the nature of the research, two potential issues may arise with sharing of results: distress to participants, and harassment of the researchers in comments on the social media page for the research. We deal with these issues as follows.

Participant distress
It is possible that participants may experience some distress when reading the results of the research – even though these will represent summated patterns from the data and not individual responses. To support participants in managing any distress, a content warning will be used at the beginning of the description of the results, with recommendations for participants to seek support from their GP or mental health practitioner in the event that they experience distress. A link to download the services sheet provided before completing the survey will be provided again at the end of the plain language statement.

Researcher harassment
Research results are disseminated both through the ACAP University College research page and the social media page established for the research. The ACAP University College research page is a static page and does not permit interaction from users of the page. Potentially harmful comments therefore cannot be left on the page. There is a possibility that harmful comments may be made on the social media page for the research once results of the research are shared. Such comments have the potential for harm to participants and members of the research team. In the event that Ms X and Ms Y receive harmful comments or criticism on social media platforms either during or after sharing results of the research, the following steps will be taken to address the situation:
1. Ms X and Ms Y will refrain from engaging with or responding directly to any harmful comments or criticism. This is to avoid escalating the situation or getting drawn into unproductive arguments.
2. Ms X and Ms Y will promptly inform the supervising researcher, Assoc. Prof Papps, about the harmful comments. Together, they will assess the nature and severity of the comments and decide on an appropriate course of action.
3. If the comments are deemed to be significantly harmful, threatening, or violate the social media platform's guidelines, the researchers will report the comments to the relevant platform and request their removal.
4. If necessary, the researchers will issue a public statement on the study's social media pages, acknowledging the concerns raised and providing a clear rationale for the study's inclusion criteria.
5. A report will be prepared and forwarded to the ACAP University College HREC, outlining the situation and the steps taken to redress it.
6. Ms X and Ms Y will be provided with support and resources to help them cope with any emotional distress caused by the harmful comments. This may include access to counselling services or support from the university's student welfare team.
 
By following these steps, the researchers aim to address any potential ethical issues arising from harmful comments while maintaining a professional and respectful approach to the situation.	

Q3.17 Describe any foreseeable future activities for which information/data collected and/or used in this project may be made available.
Data collected in the research will be used for three future activities:
•	Publication in scholarly journals, including sharing of de-identified numeric responses with scholarly journals if required.
•	Conference presentations.
•	Research theses.	

Q3.18 Describe any ethical considerations relating to the planned or possible future use of information/data in this project.
As all data made available for scrutiny will be numeric and anonymous, and all participants informed explicitly of all uses of their responses, no ethical issues are attached to their future use.	

Section 4 – Attachments and Declarations

Attachments

The following documents have been attached to this HREA.

Project Description/Protocol

See attachment PAPPS_X_Y_Project Description and Appendices.pdf	

Other attachments

Attachment File Name	Attachment Description	
		
PAPPS_X_Y_FEEDBACK.pdf	Evidence of prior scientific review. (Optional)	

Investigator Team Declarations

The research team has certified that: 
•	All information in this application and supporting documentation is correct and as complete as possible; 
•	I have read and addressed in this application the requirements of the National Statement and any other relevant guidelines;
•	I have familiarised myself with, considered and addressed in this application any relevant legislation, regulations, research guidelines and organisational policies;
•	All relevant financial and non-financial interests of the project team have been disclosed; and 
•	In the capacity of a supervisor, as applicable, I have reviewed this application and I will provide appropriate supervision to the student(s) in accordance with the arrangements specified in this application and those associated with the student’s educational program.

Assoc. Prof Fiona Ann Papps