array() ); foreach($a as $a_type) { $p['ethics'][$a_type] = NULL; } } $page_id = 's_ethics'; $action = ''; if(array_key_exists('action', $_POST)) { $action = $_POST['action']; } switch($action) { case 'save': if($closed) exit(); foreach($a as $f) { if(!array_key_exists($f, $_POST)) { $p['ethics'][$f] = NULL; } else { post_bool($p['ethics'][$f], $f); } } if($logged_in) { /* Only save to the db if the user is logged in, else just keep the fake project around */ project_save($mysqli, $p); incomplete_check($mysqli, $ret, $u, $page_id, true); } break; } $incomplete_fields = array(); if($logged_in) { incomplete_check($mysqli, $incomplete_fields, $u, $page_id); } else { incomplete_fields_check(NULL, $incomplete_fields, $page_id, $p); } $help = '

Please complete all the questions on this page about ethics'; sfiab_page_begin($u, "Project Ethics", $page_id, $help); function question($name, $text, $help, $v) { global $page_id; global $incomplete_fields; global $closed; $id = $page_id.'_form_'.$name; if(is_array($v)) { $v = $v[$name]; } $err = in_array($name, $incomplete_fields) ? 'border-color:red; border-width:2px;': ''; $d = $closed ? 'disabled="disabled"' : ''; $data = array(0=>'No', 1=>'Yes'); ?>


  • $val) { $sel = ($v === $key) ? 'checked="checked"' : ''; ?> type="radio" >

  • type="checkbox" />


    • Ethics Information and Forms

    This page will guide you through several questions to determine the relevant Youth Science Canada policies regarding ethics and the use of humans and animals in your project.

    After answering the questions, any required policies and forms will be divided into three sections:

    • Before You Start Your Project: Policies and Procedures. These are Youth Science Canada policies and procedures that must be followed while doing this project.
    • Before You Start Your Project: Forms. These are forms that must be completed BEFORE starting your project. Filling them out after you finish your project doesn't count because they are typically for getting ethics approval to ensure your project does no harm to any human or animal participants.
    • After You Complete Your Project, but Before the Fair: Forms. These are forms that should be completed after your project is done.

    IMPORTANT: YOUR PROJECT COULD BE DISQUALIFIED if the required forms aren't completed and brought to the fair or if the policies and procedures outlined here are not followed. If this page says you need to do something (e.g., give a letter of information to your participants before they take your survey), and you haven't, you need to email our ethics committee and explain the situation so we can help.

    Before You Start Your Project: Policies and Procedures

    Here is a list of the Youth Science Canada policies and procedures you must follow to do this project. Click on any policy below for more information:

      If your project was not carried out under professional supervision, it may not be eligible for the {$config['fair_abbreviation']}. Please email ".antispambot($config['email_ethics'])."."); if($e['humanfood4'] || $e['humanfoodlow1'] || $e['humanfoodlow2']) policy('Food or Drink Significant Risk', "This Food or Drink related project is considered a Significant Risk project (See YSC Policy 4.1.1.2 Section 3.4). Significant Risk Ingestion Projects must be carried out under professional supervision at a laboratory with its own internal Ethics Review Committee, such as a university or hospital laboratory (See YSC Policy 4.1.1.2 Section 3.4e). If your project was not carried out under professional supervision, it may not be eligible for the {$config['fair_abbreviation']}. Please email ".antispambot($config['email_ethics'])."."); if($e['humanfood1'] && !$e['humanfood3'] && !$e['humanfood4'] && !$e['humanfood5'] && !$e['humanfooddrug'] && !$e['humanfoodlow1'] && !$e['humanfoodlow2']) policy('Food and Drink Low Risk', 'This Food or Drink related project may meet the requirements for a Low Risk project (See YSC Policy 4.1.1.1 Section 3.2).'); if($e['humanfood3']) policy('Caffeinated Drinks', "Caffeinated Drinks are subject to Special Rules. Caffeinated Drinks are only permitted in Science Fair Projects within strict limits based on caffeine content and the age of the participants (see Caffeine Guidelines and also YSC Policy 4.1.1.1 section 3.3). If caffeinated drinks were used outside these limits, your project may not be eligible for the {$config['fair_abbreviation']}; in this case, please email ".antispambot($config['email_ethics'])."."); if($e['human1']) policy("Letter of Information", "Your Participants must be provided with a Letter of Information that provides details on your Project (See YSC Policy 4.1.1.1 Section 4.4). If your project did not include a letter of information or equivalent, it may not be eligible for the {$config['fair_abbreviation']}. Please email ".antispambot($config['email_ethics']).". Click on this item for a blank Letter of Information template.", 'http://cwsf.youthscience.ca/sites/default/files/documents/cwsf/letter_of_information_blank_en.doc'); if($e['humansurvey1'] && !$e['humanfood1'] && !$e['humanfood2'] && !$e['humantest1'] ) policy('Informed Consent for Surveys', 'Participants must give informed consent, but for Surveys this can be assumed by completion of the Survey itself (See YSC Policy 4.1.1.1 Section 4.3).'); if($e['humanfood1'] || $e['humanfood2'] || $e['humantest1']) { policy('Informed Consent',"Participants must give informed consent and complete a written Permission Form (See YSC Policy 4.1.1.1 Section 4.5). If documentation of informed consent was not obtained, your project may not be eligible for the {$config['fair_abbreviation']}. Please email ".antispambot($config['email_ethics']).". A blank Informed Consent Permission Form template can be downloaded here. Please remember that your project may not reveal the identity of any of your subjects (i.e. no names or photos). ", 'http://cwsf.youthscience.ca/sites/default/files/documents/cwsf/informed_consent_blank_en.doc'); policy('Informed Consent Under 18', 'The Parents or Guardians of Participants under 18 must also provide their written consent (See YSC Policy 4.1.1.1 Section 4.2).'); policy('Participants on Medications', 'For projects involving food testing, participants must not be taking prescription medications, to minimize the risk of drug-food interactions (See YSC Policy 4.1.1.1 Section 3.2b).'); } if($e['human1'] && $e['animals']) { policy('Mad Scientist', 'Experimenting on Humans and Animals, eh? I like your style. Note: Younger siblings count as humans, not animals.'); } if($e['animal_drug']) policy('Animal Drugs', "Drugs may only be used in an experiment if carried out at a Hospital, University, Medical or similar Laboratory under the direction of a Scientific Supervisor. See YSC Policy 4.1.2 \"Use of Animals in Research\" Section 10. If your project was completed without scientific supervision, it may not be eligible for the {$config['fair_abbreviation']}. Please email ".antispambot($config['email_ethics'])."."); if($e['animal_tissue']) policy('Animal Tissues', 'Animal tissues and parts may only be obtained and used in a project under very specific rules. Make sure you comply with YSC Policy 4.1.2 "Use of Animals in Research" Sections 8.2 and 8.3.'); if($e['animal_vertebrate'] || $e['animal_ceph']) policy('Vertebrate Animals or Cephalopods', 'Vertebrate animals or cephalopods may only be used in Science Fair Projects under very specific rules and conditions - make sure you comply with YSC Policy 4.1.2 "Use of Animals in Research" Section 8.1.'); if($e['human1'] && !$e['humanfood3'] && !$e['humanfood4'] && !$e['humanfood5'] && !$e['humantest1'] && !$e['humanfooddrug'] && !$e['humanfoodlow1'] && !$e['humanfoodlow2']) policy('Adult Supervisor Review', 'Your Adult Supervisor will need to review your experiment before you start, confirm that you meet the above requirements, ensure that it does not put the participants at risk either physically or emotionally, and then sign Form 4.1A to confirm.'); if($e['humanfood4'] || $e['humanfooddrug'] || $e['humanfoodlow1'] || $e['humantest1'] || $e['humanfoodlow2']) { policy('Adult Supervisor Review', 'Your Adult Supervisor will need to review your experiment before you start, confirm that you meet the above requirements, ensure that it does not put the participants at risk either physically or emotionally, and then sign Form 4.1B to confirm.'); policy('Scientific Supervisor', 'You will need a Scientific Supervisor to review and approve your project, and sign Form 4.1B.'); policy('Ethics Committee Review', "The {$config['fair_abbreviation']} Ethics Committee must review and confirm that the project meets the requirements of YSC Policy 4.1.1.2 and sign Form 4.1B before you present your project at the fair. Please email Form 4.1B to ".antispambot($config['email_ethics'])." as soon as you complete your registration."); } ?>

    Before You Start Your Project: Ethics Approval and Required Forms

    Here is a list of the Youth Science Canada forms that must be completed before starting this project. Click on the forms below to download them:

      Failure to recieve approval will likely result in disqualification.', 'file.php?f=research_plan'); } /* Only living animals */ if ($e['animal_vertebrate'] || $e['animal_ceph']) { $forms2 = true; policy('Animal Projects', 'Youth Science Canada requires that all projects involving vertebrate animals and cephalopods be approved before any research starts. Ethics approval may come from an Ethics Committee at a university or research lab, or may come from our Ethics Committee ('.antispambot($config['email_ethics']).'). Failure to recieve approval will likely result in disqualification.', 'file.php?f=research_plan_animals'); } /* Humans or animals not one of the above forms, tell them they should get approval anyway */ if(!$forms2 && ($e['human1'] || $e['animals'])) { policy('None', "You do not have to receive pre-approval before starting your project, but will need ethics approval in order to attend the {$config['fair_abbreviation']} {$config['year']}. Ethics committee review before you start your project is encouraged and will be required in future years. Please send your project proposal (if applicable), letter of information, and any surveys (if survey project) given to participants to ".antispambot($config['email_ethics'])."."); } else if(!$forms2) { policy('None', 'It does not appear that your project needs ethics approval.'); } ?>

    After You Complete Your Project, but Before the Fair: Forms

    Here is a list of the Youth Science Canada forms that must be completed after finishing this project. Click on the forms below to download them:

      A complete version of Form 4.1B should be emailed to ".antispambot($config['email_ethics'])." as soon as you complete your registration, so that it can be reviewed by the {$config['fair_abbreviation']} ethics committee before you present at the fair.", 'file.php?f=policy_4.1b'); } if ($e['animal_vertebrate'] || $e['animal_ceph'] || $e['animal_tissue'] ) { $forms2 = true; policy('Form 4.1C - Use of Animals', "Projects involving vertebrate animals, cephalopods, animal embryos, or animal tissues must complete YSC Form 4.1C Animals - Approval, signed by the student, the Adult Supervisor, and the Scientific Supervisor. This form can be found here. A complete version of Form 4.1C should be emailed to ".antispambot($config['email_ethics'])." as soon as you complete your registration, so that it can be reviewed by the {$config['fair_abbreviation']} ethics committee before you present at the fair.", 'file.php?f=policy_4.1c'); } if(!$forms2) { policy('None', 'It does not appear that you require any ethics or scientific review forms for your project.'); } // rules_form_ysc_3: [$e['hazardbio'] or $e['hazardother']] // Projects using potentially hazardous materials or devices must have a Designated Adult Supervisor, and a Designated Supervisor Form must be completed before experimentation starts. You can download the Designated Supervisor Form from here: http://basef.ca/sites/default/files/DesignatedSupervisorFormYSF3%5Beditable%5D.pdf ?>

    Agreement on Ethics Eligibility

      Your project may be disqualified if:', array('You don\'t bring the forms outlined above to the fair', 'You haven\'t followed the policies and procedures outline above OR haven\'t emailed our Ethics Committee ('.antispambot($config['email_ethics']).')', 'You provide incorrect information about your project (e.g., claiming to have given your participants a letter of information when you haven\'t)'), $e); } else { questionc('agree', 'Please check the box on the right to acknowledge that the information here is correct.', array('If anything about your project changes, you must adjust your answers here accordingly.', 'Failure to provide correct information about your project could result in disqualificaiton.'), $e); } ?>


    Ethics Questions