Nearly all the forms you will need for your science fair project can be found below. If you have any questions, or would simply like someone to tell you what forms your project will need, reach out to Chris: [email protected]
Humans in research
If your project involves humans in any way, you’ll very likely need to provide them an informed consent form, and get ethics committee approval.
Informed Consent:
Informed consent is a crucial process where participants are provided with comprehensive information about the nature and purpose of the research, enabling them to make a voluntary and informed decision about their involvement. It ensures that participants understand the potential risks, benefits, and their right to withdraw from the study at any time without consequence.
Forms:
- Informed Consent – Letter of information – a template to guide researchers in providing detailed explanations about the research project, helping participants understand the purpose, procedures, potential risks, and benefits before consenting to take part.
- Permission Form – Informed Consent – To be filled out by each participant in your study. For participants under 18, an additional signature is required from a parent or guardian.
For a study involving physical exercise:
It is the responsibility of the researcher to protect participants from harm while conducting scientific projects. The Physical Exercise Permission Form is crucial for projects involving exercise beyond typical daily activities, as it ensures that participants are fully informed of, and have agreed to, the potential risks associated with the physical activities in the research.
Form:
Ethics committee approval forms for humans in research:
To ensure young researchers uphold ethical standards and ensure participant safety, projects involving humans must be review by the science fair ethics committee before they begin. Youth Science Canada has two risk categories for humans in research: Low risk and significant risk.
A participant can determine if their project is a “significant risk” project or a “low risk” project by assessing the level of potential harm involved compared to everyday life. Low-risk projects generally include activities like surveys of attitudes or observations of behavior, where discomfort or harm is unlikely. Conversely, significant risk projects involve conditions where the risk of harm is greater than what is encountered in daily life, such as physical interventions or psychological stress that could cause distress or injury. When in doubt, contact Chris: [email protected]
Forms:
- Participation of Humans in Research: Low Risk – Approval Form
- Participation of Humans in Research: Significant Risk – Approval Form
Use of animals in research
The use of animals in research plays a crucial role in advancing scientific knowledge and understanding fundamental biological principles, which can contribute to human and animal well-being. However, it must be conducted ethically, ensuring the humane treatment of animals by adhering to principles like the 3Rs: Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement, to minimize harm and maximize welfare.
Forms and information:
- “Use of Animals” Research Plan – A template to ensure that any science fair project involving animals adheres to ethical standards and legal requirements.
- Use of Vertebrate Animals in Research: Approval Form – Animals with a backbone
- Information about invertebrate animals in research – Animals without a backbone
Request for advice or ruling from the ethics committee
- Request for Advice or Ruling: Ethics Committee – Needed when there’s uncertainty about the ethical or safety aspects of a project, allowing researchers to seek guidance from the committee to ensure their project complies with necessary ethical and safety standards.
Youth Science Canada’s policy portal
All the documents above – and many more – can be found from the official source, here: