Case Study: Research Ethics

Unfortunately it is not. BMC Editorial Policy clearly states: Research involving human subjects, human material, or human data, must have been approved by an appropriate ethics committee. A statement detailing this, including the name of the ethics committee and the reference number where appropriate, must appear in all manuscripts reporting such research. If a study has been granted an exemption from requiring ethics approval, this should also be detailed in the manuscript (including the name of the ethics committee that granted the exemption).

Unfortunately it is not. BMC Editorial Policy dictates: Research involving human subjects, human material, or human data, must have been approved by a local Ethics Committee based in the same country from where the participants have been recruited. Therefore if the study has taken place at multiple locations (such as Ethiopia and Nigeria), we require ethical approval from a committee at all locations.

If you are unsure whether or not your study requires ethical approval, check with the local Ethics Committee.  Do not rely on online tools.