Human Research Ethics Guidelines in Australia

Abstract

This chapter describes the human research ethics guidelines that have been issued by national government agencies in Australia between 1966 and the present time. The identity, statutory or formal authority to issue such guidelines of each of these agencies is described as is the composition of the committees and approval bodies of each of the issuing agencies. The processes that these agencies were required to follow in the development and issues of guidelines are examined, as well as the more informal processes that they adopted in guideline development. These include requirements for public consultation and promulgation. Finally, the chapter concludes with some reflections on the strengths and weaknesses of those processes and on the effects of recent statutory changes to the key agencies.