Is my project QI/QA/PE or research?
Learn the difference between quality improvement (QI), quality assurance (QA), program evaluation (PE), and research projects - and whether or not ethics approval is needed before you begin your study.
Quality Improvement (QI), Quality Assurance (QA), and Program Evaluation (PE) projects
- Initiatives that examine activities, programs, or processes within an institution or unit in order to make improvements specifically in that institution or unit
- An exemption from ethics review may be requested for these studies
Research projects
- Efforts to produce or contribute to generalizable knowledge (e.g., testing hypotheses)
- All research involving human participants requires ethics review
Is my project QI/QA/PE or research?
Understand the differences
Use this table to compare the characteristics of QI/QA/PE and research activities
Categorize your study
Review this flowchart to help categorize your study as QI/QA/PE or research
Assess risk
Complete the ARECCI Screening Tool to assess potential risks to participants
Request exemption
If Steps 1-3 indicate that your project is QI, QA, or PE, you still need to request an exemption from CHREB ethics review before beginning your study.
To request an exemption, email CHREB all of the following information:
Project proposal/protocol
Completed ARECCI Tool
As a PDF or link to the results webpage
Justification
A paragraph justifying your belief that this is a QI, QA, or PE project (using language from the table and flowchart in Steps 1-2).
Statement of support
A statement noting that the FoN Dean or authorized clinic/department lead supports this as a QI, QA, or PE project - optional, but useful.