Applications for approval of programmes or requests for opinions must be sent to the Commission by electronic means using the appropriate forms. In the interest of parsimony and to avoid an overload of work, the Commission issues an opinion on research "programmes" rather than specific studies. By "programmes" is meant a set of manipulations relating to the same theme and/or using the same method.
For student theses, the promoter guarantees compliance with ethical rules by signing a commitment form completed by the student. These forms are designed to raise awareness among students and researchers about the issue of protecting research participants.
With the entry into force of the Act of 4 April 2014 regulating the mental health care professions and amending Royal Decree No. 78 of 10 November 1967 on the exercise of health care professions, the clinical psychologist is included among the health care professions.
As a result, it is necessary to obtain a favourable opinion from an ethics committee with full accreditation for trials, studies and investigations aimed at developing the knowledge specific to the practice of the profession of clinical psychologist (Cliniques Saint-Luc hospitalo-facultaire ethics committee).
The "practice of clinical psychology" is defined, by the coordinated law of 10 May 2015, as the "habitual performance of autonomous acts the purpose of which is, or is presented as having the purpose, with regard to a human being and within a scientifically substantiated framework of clinical psychology, of preventing, examining, screening or establishing the psychodiagnosis of actual or supposed psychological or psychosomatic suffering, and the care or support of that person".
Three criteria can be used to verify whether the project is a clinical psychology project:
- the study is conducted with a clinical population
- the place of recruitment or testing of participants (patients) is a care facility
- is the objective of the study clinical? Or, is there a measure of psychological or psychosomatic suffering whose objective is to better understand this suffering (increase knowledge about this suffering)?
If the answer to at least one of these criteria is positive, the project is a clinical psychology project.
Cliniques Saint-Luc hospitalo-facultaire ethics committee:
Contact: https://www.saintluc.be/recherche/comite-ethique-contacts.php
Submissions: https://www.saintluc.be/recherche/ctc-soumission-initiale.php (with simplified submission form for student thesis)
- Request for approval
- Update of an approved previous project
- Commitment forms (for mémoire projects and funding requests)
- Example of a form used to recruit participants: see the Université Laval website - Forms and templates/guide https://www.cerul.ulaval.ca/cms/lang/fr/pid/84313
- Provisions concerning the participation of minors or unfit adults: see the Université Laval website https://www.cerul.ulaval.ca/cms/site/cerul/page84179.html
- Specific consent form for the use of videos
It must be sent in a compressed file including all documents (form and annexes) demande-ethique-ipsy@uclouvain.be
The Commission will provide a response within six weeks, except in July and August.
This file will be archived within the Commission. However, you are advised to keep a personal copy.
For minor changes, the Commission offers a simplified form for reporting updates to the original project.
List of information required in consent forms
Informed consent forms must provide the following information:
- Name of the lead researcher and project title
- General objective of the study
- Description of the request to participate: duration, location, device, interaction with others parties
- Procedures used for selection: how and why
- Mention of possible risks and disadvantages
- Mention of the expected benefits and any proposed compensation
- Proposal to answer the questions and provide additional information if necessary, possibly after the end of the study
- Right to withdraw at any time without justification and without loss of compensation
- Anonymity guarantee
Examples
Guide for writing posters, letters or advertisements used for recruitment
Example 1 (second cycle student thesis)
Example 2 (Participation in research conducted during doctoral thesis)
Example 3 (Participation in a research program)