Research involving human participants must be reviewed by an Ethics Board before it can commence. The job of the Ethics Board is to evaluate potential risks from the perspective of the participants.
The TCPS defines research as "a systematic investigation to establish facts, principles or generalizable knowledge". This includes not only experimental protocols, but also research involving naturalistic observation, questionnaires, interviews, or secondary use of data that are not in the public domain. It also covers research conducted as a class project.
For additional information, please email: ethicsoffice@mcmaster.ca.