Overarching research values and principles

Support to deliver your work

It is important to ensure that all research activities involving human participation align with the values outlined in the National Statement: respect for human beings, research merit and integrity, justice, and beneficence.

While this material can appear daunting for first-time researchers, remember that these standards are used by researchers every day to support them to deliver their work. As research technologies and norms change over time, these standards undergo regular review, so they don’t need to be memorised.

For every research project, the extent to which you engage with the standards will depend upon the scope and scale of your research and the type and level of associated risks. Guidance material and tips to get started follow.

Applicable standards

When undertaking research, it is your responsibility to ensure that all parties involved in carrying out the research project are aware of and comply with the relevant guidelines, codes and legislation relating to ethical research in Victoria, including:

• Privacy and Data Protection Act2014 (Vic) 
• Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) 
• The Australian Privacy Principles (Privacy Amendment- Enhancing Privacy Protection- Act 2012, Sched 1)
• National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Research Council and Universities Australia. Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018). Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra.
• National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Research Council and Universities Australia. National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (‘National Statement’) (2025). Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra.
• Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS). AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research (2020). AIATSIS: Canberra.
• Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS). A Guide to Applying the AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research (2020). AIATSIS: Canberra.
• National Health and Medical Research Council, Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities: Guidelines for researchers and stakeholders (2018). Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra
• National Health and Medical Research Council, Keeping Research on Track II: A companion document to Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities: Guidelines for researchers and stakeholders (2018). Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra.

Key legislation

• Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)
• Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic)
• Health Records Act 2001 (Vic)

Resources

The NHMRC  National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2025) – the national standards for use when developing research proposals, making submissions for ethics review and undertaking ethics review. They have a number of supplementary guides available on their website to support implementation of the Code and National Statement.

The AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research and NHMRC Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities – for research projects with a specific focus on Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities.

Williams, M. & Ragg, M. (2023), Research protocol checklist, Yulang Indigenous Evaluation. Produced with the support of Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network and the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW, this checklist can be used to support the development of research proposals. It combines questions that respond to the National Statement guidelines, AIATSI Score values, and specific considerations for research among people in criminal legal system custody.