General/Human Research Ethics: Assessment Questions Please provide your details below before starting the assessment: Question Title * 1. Name and Surname: (Required.) Question Title * 2. Staff / Student Number (if you are not a UFS staff member or student, you can enter "NA"): (Required.) Question Title * 3. Department Name (if you are not with a department at UFS, you can enter "NA"): (Required.) Question Title * 4. Email Address: (Required.) Section 1: Preparing for your GHREC application Question Title * 5. Before applying for ethical clearance, what must be completed? Data collection Scientific review Final report Consent from participants Question Title * 6. Who first reviews the submitted ethics application from students? RIMS Office GHREC chair Supervisor Faculty reviewer Question Title * 7. If the supervisor is not satisfied with the application, what can they do? Discard the application Submit it directly to GHREC Forward it to the department anyway Make comments and return it to the applicant Question Title * 8. Which of the following is an application type on the ethics form? Experimental study Desktop/literature study Randomised review Simulation testing Question Title * 9. What should you consult to ensure that your application is complete? The application outcome video The application checklist NHREC policy RIMS email confirmation Section 2: Research design Question Title * 10. What is the primary purpose of the research design section in an ethics application? To summarise literature To explain in a clear and ethical manner how the study will be conducted To convince reviewers of funding needs To list academic qualifications Question Title * 11. Why should your sampling method be clearly explained? To satisfy your supervisor To inflate your sample size To justify who will participate and how they are selected To compare with other universities Question Title * 12. Why is it important to clearly describe your population and inclusion/exclusion criteria? To get a waiver To allow random data selection To ensure that the study targets the right participants To make the study longer Question Title * 13. What should participants do before data collection begins? Receive funding Give informed consent Review NVivo reports Contact the dean Question Title * 14. Which statement best reflects ethical data collection? Use any available data to get more results Audio recordings can be made without consent Participants must consent, and their comfort and safety must be prioritised Interviews must be done quickly to save time Question Title * 15. What is one of the most common mistakes students make in the research design section? Referencing their consent form Explaining sampling Describing their plan in theoretical rather than practical and ethical terms Using simple language Section 3: Risk type and mitigation Question Title * 16. What is a risk mitigation strategy for emotional distress? Ignoring participant concerns Avoiding the inclusion of individuals who seem distressed Providing counselling resources Delaying debriefing Question Title * 17. What risk mitigation strategy is appropriate for a possible breach of confidentiality? Avoid collecting consent Store data on public servers Share all data with faculty Implement data encryption and anonymisation Question Title * 18. When using culturally sensitive topics, what is an appropriate action? Ask for all personal details Enforce all questions Allow participants to skip questions Only interview in groups Question Title * 19. What is one way to manage expectations? Exclude contact details Avoid debriefing Clearly explain study limitations Offer rewards Question Title * 20. What should be avoided during focus group discussions to ensure confidentiality? Asking anonymous questions Collecting feedback Sharing personal data without ground rules Providing refreshments Section 4: POPIA considerations Question Title * 21. What does POPIA consider ‘personal information’? Only financial data Only ID numbers Information that can identify a person or company Published research Question Title * 22. Which of the following is considered special personal information under POPIA? Email address Religion Gender Employment status Question Title * 23. Special personal information requires: Sharing with institutions Online consent only Additional justification and handling Less scrutiny Question Title * 24. What is one common mistake in demographic data collection? Not recording names Collecting irrelevant demographics Asking too few questions Not using NVivo Question Title * 25. At which stage of research is POPIA involved? Only in qualitative research Only at publication Every stage Only at recruitment Question Title * 26. What is the best practice for handling research data? Anonymise and assign unique identifiers early Include names in all reports Store data in multiple folders Publish raw data Question Title * 27. What happens once data is fully anonymised? Consent must be renewed It is no longer useful POPIA no longer applies It becomes sensitive Question Title * 28. Which of these is NOT POPIA-compliant? UFS OneDrive MS Teams Free Google Drive EVASYS Question Title * 29. What is third-party data? Data from SPSS Information from someone other than the participant Survey results Data from literature Section 5: Attachments to ethics applications Question Title * 30. Which version of the research proposal must be submitted? A summary without the methodology Supervisor’s personal copy Final version with no track changes or comments A rough draft Question Title * 31. Which tense must the methodology section of the proposal use? Present tense Past tense Future tense Conditional tense Question Title * 32. How should data collection instruments be labelled? Alphabetically Clearly with method and target group With anonymous codes According to the study title Question Title * 33. Why must consent forms be professionally written? To comply with NHREC policies Because students are not allowed to write their own They are public-facing documents and must be clear and respectful To impress the reviewers Question Title * 34. What is a gatekeeper approval letter? A student note An official document from the organisation granting access An unsigned permission slip A letter from the RIMS office Question Title * 35. What should the gatekeeper letter include? A confidentiality clause Official letterhead and a clear permission statement Supervisor’s signature Participant names Question Title * 36. What must be attached as proof that scientific concerns have been addressed? Ethics training certificate Signed scientific review form Draft proposal Supervisor’s email Question Title * 37. What happens if the proposal is written in the past tense? It must be explained in a letter Nothing, it is just style It may be rejected as it implies that data collection has begun It is passed on to the faculty Question Title * 38. Consent forms must include which of the following? Data encryption steps Supervisor’s biography Purpose of the study and participant rights Bibliography of references Section 6: Submission deadlines and post-application process Question Title * 39. When are GHREC applications reviewed? Daily Monthly Weekly Quarterly Question Title * 40. What happens if a student submits their application on the second of a month? It is reviewed the same day It is rejected automatically It is reviewed the following month It goes to NHREC Question Title * 41. What must happen for the application to leave the applicant’s inbox? Supervisor approval Clicking the ‘Submit’ button and receiving confirmation Scientific review form attached Consent forms uploaded Question Title * 42. What must happen before the first of the month to ensure timely review? The final report must be filed The decision letter must be printed The supervisor must approve on RIMS Submission to the POPIA office Question Title * 43. What is the role of the faculty reviewer? Approve the software used in the analysis Design recruitment posters Evaluate applications before the GHREC meeting Review submitted data Question Title * 44. When does the GHREC not meet? June January December March Question Title * 45. What happens if no confirmation email is received? Nothing changes Ethics approval is still granted Contact the RIMS Office immediately The supervisor will call the GHREC Chair Section 7: GHREC outcomes, extensions, and amendments Question Title * 46. What does ‘Approval’ mean in a GHREC outcome? Modifications are still required All ethical requirements have been met, and data collection can start Participant recruitment has already started The proposal must be rewritten Question Title * 47. What does ‘Conditional approval’ mean in a GHREC outcome? The study must be completed within a month Data collection can start Participant recruitment can start Specific items must be uploaded before approval is granted, and data collection can begin Question Title * 48. What must be submitted if ‘Conditional approval’ is granted? POPIA certificate Final report Missing documentation such as gatekeeper letters Signed consent forms Question Title * 49. What is required when the application is marked ‘Modifications required’? Publication draft Data analysis A completed modification form with clear responses Supervisor approval Question Title * 50. What happens if the application is rejected? The waiver is automatically issued The study may not be conducted The supervisor may override the decision Data collection may commence Question Title * 51. How long is ethics approval valid? 24 months 12 months As long as it takes to collect the data 3 months Question Title * 52. What should be included in a final report? Bibliography only Summary of research, complaints, and data disposition Only the findings POPIA checklist Question Title * 53. A waiver is only applicable when: Participants are anonymous There is no primary data collection (e.g., desktop study) Minor risks exist Research uses online data collection A minimum score of 70% is required to pass. If you achieve less than 70%, kindly retake the quiz to ensure successful completion. Done