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Research Ethics
Ethical clearance
Also called irb approval, ethics approval, institutional review board
Ethical clearance is formal approval from an institutional review board or ethics committee confirming your study's methods meet the standards for treating participants, data, and risk responsibly. Most institutions require it before data collection can legally begin, not after.
In context
You'll usually need this when your study involves human participants, personal data, or anything that could cause harm if handled carelessly.