Is my project QI/QA/PE or research?

Learn the difference and whether or not ethics approval is needed before you begin

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

Table

Categorize your study

Review this flowchart to help categorize your study as QI/QA/PE or research

Flowchart

Assess risk

Complete the ARECCI Screening Tool to assess potential risks to participants

ARECCI Tool

Request exemption

If Steps 1-3 indicate that your project is QI, QA, or PE, you still need to request an ethics exemption before beginning your study.

To request an REB exemption for Faculty of Nursing QI projects, email all of the following to the NRO's Senior Research Specialist (hallm@ucalgary.ca): 

  • The results of the flowchart (see 2 above) that determines project as QI/QA or research
  • A completed ARECCI result (see 3 above) with risk score (you can download as PDF when completed)
  • Project proposal/protocol
  • Completed QI justification template
  • A support letter from an authorized clinic/department lead or director that indicates the project is supported as QI/QA