Literature Review: Quality standards and accreditation schemes for human research ethics committees

This Literature Review: Quality standards and accreditation schemes for human research ethics committees provides findings from the national and international literature on evidence of quality standards and accreditation schemes for Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs). Its purpose is to inform the development of national quality standards and an accreditation scheme for HRECs operating under the National Mutual Acceptance (NMA) Scheme.

The intended purpose of an accreditation scheme for institutions and HRECs is to enhance consistency and build reciprocal confidence in the ethical review of human research in Australia. As an outcome of this work, it is anticipated that a number of institutions and HRECs will be accredited, across the public and private sectors in Australia. In the future, this accreditation will also be extended to the university sector.