Requests from School Students to Undertake Research Projects at WCHN
While we try to facilitate student projects, WCHN staff can only be involved if the the project does not involve contact with WCHN patients/clients/consumers/families or coming on site. Other provisions apply to student projects.
Please note that there are strict guidelines which the WCHN needs to follow regarding research conducted at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and its associated community organisations. Also, for privacy reasons, it will not be possible for you to visit our hospital wards.
Whilst we try to facilitate student projects, WCHN staff can only be involved if the interviews / questions / surveys fulfil the below criteria:
- The project does not involve contact with WCHN patients/clients/consumers/families or coming on site.
- The project does not seek participants' normative views (ethical/value judgements/personal opinion).
- The project does not pertain to a sensitive topic/area (e.g. end of life decision making, pregnancy termination etc).
- The project does not investigate Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander persons or issues of particular relevance to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.
On the proviso that your research project meets criteria 1-4 as above, and you wish to access WCHN staff, you will need to:
Obtain departmental approval to interview staff or to provide them with questionnaires. This approval should be sought from the relevant Department/Unit Head prior to undertaking your project at the WCHN. This can be via email with the title of the project clearly listed in the subject heading and the e-mail should include details about what the project is, what staff involvement entails, and what you will do with the information.
If Department/Unit Heads or students need clarification about the above criteria, please contact Dr Tamara Zutlevics, Chair WCHN Human Research Ethics Committee, via e-mail: tamara.zutlevics@sa.gov.au