Which projects require ethics approval?

What research must be approved by the ETH Zurich Ethics Commission?

Research with people or their data not falling under the responsibility of a Cantonal Ethics Committee must be approved by the ETH Zurich Ethics Commission before it begins. This includes, for example, research such as:

Surveys, interviews, focus groups, workshops
Behavioural studies (observational, experimental)
Research on social media (see guidelines)
Research with students and their data (see guidelines)
Research with personal data
Medical research with participants for which a Cantonal Ethics Committee does not claim responsibility (e.g., certain physiological measurements; please attach their declaration of non-responsibiliy to your application).

Are you unsure if your research must be approved by the Cantonal Ethics Committee?

Please visit this page to learn more.

Can I do research without an ethics approval?

Running a project without ethics approval may have negative consequences depending on who is responsible for evaluation:

Cantonal Ethics Committee: monetary penalty or custodial sentence (HFG Art. 62 und 63)
ETH Zurich Ethics Commission: The Principal Investigator (PI) is personally liable in the event of damage. Moreover, the  Vice President for Research may take measures related to the PI's employment.

In many cases you will also be asked for an ethics approval by funding agencies or publication platforms.  

Ensure to submit your ethics proposal on time to avoid any obstructions.

The following activities are exempt from ethics approval:

Expert knowledge

Expert consultations in form of interviews, Delphi Method, or surveys are exempt from ethics approval if all of the following conditions are met:

The data collection focuses exclusively on expert knowledge. The expert acts as an informant and is not the object of the research itself. In most cases, a person's status as an expert is based on their professional role (e.g., as an urban planner, farmer, software developer).
No wage compensation is offered.
The data collection has no experimental feature whatsoever (e.g., deception or incomplete information on the study, intervention or stimuli, etc.).

The following requirements apply to such data collections:

Data protection: The researcher is responsible for the protection of personal data and complying with the applicable data protection laws (cf. information on data protection).
Informed consent: The researcher is responsible for obtaining informed consent from the experts before data collection starts (cf. information on informed consent). Therein, information is provided about the possible collection and use of personal data, and the experts shall be asked in what form they may be cited in publications (e.g., with name, with description, being mentioned at the end of the publication (list), not being mentioned in any publication, etc.). A template for an informed consent form can be found at the bottom of the ethics application form (here).
 Voluntariness: Participation must be voluntary. Enquiries on participation and particularly obtaining informed consent should be made by the researcher and not by the expert’s employer.

Examples of exempt research:

Semi-structured interviews with urban planners and architects on implemented climate regulation measures in cities.
A survey with farmers about crops affected by the straw fly and the precautionary measures taken.
Qualitative interviews with forest management officials on the economic resilience of cantonal forestry companies.

Examples of research that is subject to approval:

Ethnographic interviews with members of the Hadza community about the impact of climate change on hunting practices and the cultural identity of the Hadza.
A randomised online survey with commercial clerks to investigate their acceptance of AI use in job interviews.

Use of student data for reflective teaching (without publication)

Anonymous surveys with students for quality assurance purposes and studies to improve one's own teaching (reflective teaching) do not require ethics approval, provided that the data and results are not used for publication purposes (otherwise an ethics approval must be obtained). Students must be informed of the purpose of the data collection whenever possible. Please note the guidelines on ‘Educational Research’.

Self-tests of technical products

Tests of technical products involving ETH internal or external participants do not require approval if there is no intention to publish the results, or if the products are tested only on those researchers or students who are directly involved in their development. In this case, the Office of the Ethics Commission may issue a declaration of non-responsibility (“waiver”) for publication purposes (send us a Download Clarification of responsibility (DOCX, 70 KB) before the start of the testing).

This exemption does not apply to the testing of medical devices where the Human Research Act applies.

For all tests and measurements that do not have to be reviewed by an Ethics Commission, the participants should sign a  Download Participation Agreement (DOCX, 39 KB).

Self-testing on researchers must not endanger their wellbeing.

Collaborations with other institutions

If a project is conducted by members of different institutions, the PI is responsible for obtaining ethics approval at their institution. The other institutions may accept the approval of the leading house or request their own review. Projects in which members of ETH Zurich are involved but do not bear sole responsibility (co-PIs or collaborators) must be brought to the attention of the Office of the Ethics Commission at an early stage.

Research abroad

Medical research with participants abroad must be reviewed by the locally responsible Ethics Committee as well as the ETH Zurich Ethics Commission. Field or lab research abroad should also be reviewed by a local Ethics Committee to ensure compliance with local ethical and legal norms (see Research Abroad). For online experiments with participants from abroad, the review by the ETH Zurich Ethics Commission is sufficient unless local rules stipulate otherwhise.

Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral Theses

Research projects of students of ETH Zurich for which they or other members of ETH Zurich are responsible (PI at ETH) are subject to approval and must be submitted to either a Cantonal or the ETH Zurich Ethics Commission.

If the principal investigator (PI) of the research project is not affiliated with ETH Zurich, it is their responsibility to obtain ethics approval. In consultation with the supervising person at ETH Zurich, a review by the ETH Zurich Ethics Commission may be considered (i.e., if the Cantonal Ethics Committee declares non-responsibility).

Bachelor's and Master's theses are reviewed faster by the ETH Zurich Ethics Commission (cf. How long it takes).

Clarification of responsibility

If you are unsure whether your project needs to be reviewed by the ETH Zurich Ethics Commission, the Office of the Ethics Commission can advise you. Please describe your project in .