University of the Immaculate Conception-Research Ethics Committee

Comments: Improve the weak sections accordingly seeking assistance from your adviser.
Contextualize the dimensions in the ethical consideration section by complying to the suggested
revisions on the checklist below, as follows:

On Ethical Considerations Section

Ethical Dimensions Recommendations

Social Value utilization of the findings of this study.
plan on how the results of the study can be disseminated to the community to
address their needs.
Informed Consent purpose of the informed consent as a document.
the process on how you will give relevant information of your study to the
respondents.
Vulnerability of issues on vulnerability of the respondents/participants.
Research Participants whether the target respondents/participants are vulnerable or not based on their
capability to render independent judgment as to whether they will give their
consent to participate in this study or not. If they are not vulnerable, say so and
support why they are not. If they are vulnerable, then explain what special
protection must be provided by the researcher to these respondents/participants.
Risks, Benefits, and Mention the foreseeable risks or inconveniences that the respondents may
Safety experience or encounter as informants of the study.

how to address the risks especially in the light of COVID 19 Pandemic.

the need to comply with the IATF guidelines in the conduct of research to
minimize the risks.

Discuss both the direct and the indirect benefits that the respondents can get
Privacy and Explain how the sensitive and personal data can be protected and how the
Confidentiality of leaking out of information can be prevented. Discuss adequately the researcher’s
Information compliance to the stipulations of the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

Justice Discuss the principle of the equitable distribution of burdens and responsibility
among the researcher and the participants in research. Assure that the researcher
must be equipped and the participants must meet a certain set of inclusion
criteria.
incentive for the respondents due to the inconveniences they will experience
while
taking part in the study.
Transparency Disclose the study objectives, methods and the extent of the
respondents’/participants’ involvement in the study.
 Accessibility to the findings of the study must be assured. Whenever necessary,
discuss how to address the conflict of interest.
Qualifications of Establish the expertise or the competence of the researcher to pursue the conduct
Researcher/Adviser of the investigation.

Mention the availability of the consultants and other experts in the institutions
where the research is to be conducted for guidance.

Adequacy of Identify what facilities will be used in the study and state the availability of
Facilities these materials. If the conduct of the data collection is online,

Identify the specific application that will be used for data gathering and
communication between the researcher and the respondents/participants.

Community Make a clear discussion on how the benefits and the

Involvement results of the study can be known to the participants and to the
community that they represent as well as to the other
stakeholders through a dissemination plan or research forum.

INFORM CONSENT FORM

Sections/Subsection Recommendations

INTRODUCTION Disclose your identity as the researcher, state the institution or company
affiliation and specify where to conduct the research. Make sure that the ICF
appears as an invitation letter to the target respondents/participants because
of their characteristics that make them the right choice for the study.
Emphasize that the involvement is purely voluntary.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY Reveal what you intend to accomplish in the study. Make sure that the stated
purpose statement is consistent with what is written in the proposal.

State how the findings can be used to address or solve the social issues
identified.

Mention the dissemination platform.

STUDY PROCEDURES Make clear the time duration of the study especially the length of time
required from the respondents during orientation period, actual data
collection period, and post-conferences.

Add a brief discussion on the process flow of the study.

POTENTIAL RISKS AND State clearly as to the nature of the study or the sensitivity of the topic. If the
DISCOMFORTS topic requires observational or if there is no experimentation or intervention
that must be done on the respondents/participants, do not say that the topic is
sensitive.

Reveal and discuss all the foreseeable risks and inconveniences and explain
 how these risks can be minimized. Add a discussion on how to implement
health protocols with respect to data collection amidst the COVID19
pandemic.
REIMBURSEMENT AND Add a discussion on how to reimburse or compensate the
COMPENSATION respondents/participants in relation to their participation in the study.
POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO Discuss both the direct and the indirect benefits that the respondents can get
PARTICIPANTS/AND TO as a result of their active involvement in the investigation.
SOCIETY
Mention how the findings of the study can address the needs of the
community and the society as a whole.
DATA PRIVACY AND Explain how the sensitive and personal data can be protected and how the
CONFIDENTIALITY leaking out of information can be prevented.

Add a discussion on the researcher’s adherence or compliance to the

stipulations of the Data Privacy Act of 2012 pertaining to issues of sensitive
information that may be accessed from the respondents/participants.
VOLUNTARINESS OF Emphasize that the involvement is purely voluntary. Discuss the
PARTICIPATION AND voluntariness, and rights of the participants to withdraw from the study
RIGHTS TO WITHDRAW anytime without loss of any privilege or an imposed penalty.
FROM THE RESEARCH
INVESTIGATOR’S and Disclose the contact numbers or email addresses of both the researcher and
ADVISER’S CONTACT the thesis/dissertation adviser.
INFORMATION
RIGHTS OF RESEARCH Mention the rights of respondents/participants to ask for some clarifications
PARTICIPANT regarding the conduct of research from the designated offices, like the
Research, Publication, and Innovation Center (RPIC), Graduate School (GS),
and the UIC Research Ethics Committee (REC), whose contact numbers are
made widely available.