University research policies regarding self-experimentation

The request was successful.

To the University.

I would be grateful if you would, if possible, deal with this request under administrative arrangements rather than invoking the cumbersome machinery of the Freedom of Information/Right to Information Act.

I am seeking a copy of any policy documents that your university has (most likely with your Human Research Ethics Committee [HREC], or similar) regarding research involving self-experimentation, by which I mean those projects or experiments in which the only participant is the researcher themselves.

I am particularly interested in (i) whether your university has an explicit policy regarding self-experimentation, and (ii) whether self-experimentation requires HREC review.

Yours faithfully,

Mark R. Diamond

foi-officer, University of Melbourne

Dear Mark,

Thanks for your email. I'll follow up with the relevant internal staff members regarding your query. Please note that the University is closed from the 24th December 2022 until the 2nd January 2023 and that a number of staff will be on leave from the start of the year. In the meantime, I've provided a link below to the Melbourne Policy Library where you may be able to find an answer to your question.

https://policy.unimelb.edu.au/

Kind regards,

Freedom of Information | Information Regulation team
Information Governance Services I Legal and Risk I Chief Operating Officer Portfolio
The University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus, Victoria, Australia
E: [email address]
https://about.unimelb.edu.au/strategy/go...

I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I work, the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation, and I pay my respects to the Elders, past, present, and emerging.

CRICOS: 00116K

This email and any attachments may contain personal information or information that is otherwise confidential or the subject of copyright. Any use, disclosure or copying of any part of it is prohibited. The University does not warrant that this email or any attachments are free from viruses or defects. Please check any attachments for viruses and defects before opening them. If this email is received in error, please delete it and notify us by return email.
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark R. Diamond <[FOI #9741 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, 21 December 2022 1:43 PM
To: foi-officer <[University of Melbourne request email]>
Subject: [EXT] Freedom of Information request - University research policies regarding self-experimentation

External email: Please exercise caution

To the University.

I would be grateful if you would, if possible, deal with this request under administrative arrangements rather than invoking the cumbersome machinery of the Freedom of Information/Right to Information Act.

I am seeking a copy of any policy documents that your university has (most likely with your Human Research Ethics Committee [HREC], or similar) regarding research involving self-experimentation, by which I mean those projects or experiments in which the only participant is the researcher themselves.

I am particularly interested in (i) whether your university has an explicit policy regarding self-experimentation, and (ii) whether self-experimentation requires HREC review.

Yours faithfully,

Mark R. Diamond

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[FOI #9741 email]

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foi-officer, University of Melbourne

Dear Mark,

Our enquiries indicate that the University does not have any policy documents regarding research involving self-experimentation, including any explicit policy. In regards to point ii) self-experimentation should be subject to review by the human research ethics committee (HREC), however we are not aware of any such projects being undertaken at UoM.

I trust this satisfies your request.

Thanks,

Freedom of Information | Information Regulation team Information Governance Services I Legal and Risk I Chief Operating Officer Portfolio The University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus, Victoria, Australia
E: [email address]
https://about.unimelb.edu.au/strategy/go...

I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I work, the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation, and I pay my respects to the Elders, past, present, and emerging.

CRICOS: 00116K

This email and any attachments may contain personal information or information that is otherwise confidential or the subject of copyright. Any use, disclosure or copying of any part of it is prohibited. The University does not warrant that this email or any attachments are free from viruses or defects. Please check any attachments for viruses and defects before opening them. If this email is received in error, please delete it and notify us by return email.
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark R. Diamond <[FOI #9741 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, 21 December 2022 1:43 PM
To: foi-officer <[University of Melbourne request email]>
Subject: [EXT] Freedom of Information request - University research policies regarding self-experimentation

External email: Please exercise caution

To the University.

I would be grateful if you would, if possible, deal with this request under administrative arrangements rather than invoking the cumbersome machinery of the Freedom of Information/Right to Information Act.

I am seeking a copy of any policy documents that your university has (most likely with your Human Research Ethics Committee [HREC], or similar) regarding research involving self-experimentation, by which I mean those projects or experiments in which the only participant is the researcher themselves.

I am particularly interested in (i) whether your university has an explicit policy regarding self-experimentation, and (ii) whether self-experimentation requires HREC review.

Yours faithfully,

Mark R. Diamond

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #9741 email]

Is [University of Melbourne request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to University of Melbourne? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change_re...

This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

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Dear FOI Team,
Many thanks for the reply and for the information.
Yours sincerely,

Mark R. Diamond