Composition of the Ethics Committee:
Oskar Chmiel, Jan Hagemejer, Agnieszka Maj. Agnieszka Skowronek, Zuzanna Stańska
Rules of Procedure of the CASE Ethics Committee
§1. Purpose and scope of activity
1) The Ethics Committee (hereinafter: the Committee) operates at CASE to support research conducted in accordance with the principles of social research ethics.
2) The Committee assesses in particular:
a) the compliance of projects with the principles of social research ethics,
b) the sources of data needed for the projects,
c) the protection of data and privacy of participants,
d) the use of technology, including tools based on artificial intelligence,
e) potential risks and consequences for research participants.
3) The Commission’s assessment shall be carried out if the project manager deems it appropriate due to the nature of the project, its subject matter, methods, group of participants, or other circumstances.
§2. Composition of the Committee
1. The composition of the Committee shall be approved and appointed by the Management Board for an indefinite period.
2. The Committee shall consist of five persons nominated by five CASE thematic directors (each director shall nominate one person, including themselves, if they deem it appropriate).
3. In the event of a Committee member’s resignation or prolonged indisposition, the relevant director shall nominate a new representative, who shall be appointed to the Committee by the Management Board.
4. The members of the Committee shall perform their tasks independently and collectively.
§3. Evaluation procedure
1. The project manager, after consulting with the team or the thematic director, submits the project to the Commission for ethical evaluation.
2. The assessment shall be based on a standard ethical assessment form, which includes an assessment of the key elements of the project, including its objectives, methods, participant groups, tools used, and anticipated risks (see Appendix 1).
3. The Committee shall formulate its opinion within a maximum of 14 calendar days of receiving the completed form. This deadline is indicative.
§4. Rules of operation
1. Members of the Commission shall recuse themselves from the assessment of projects in which they are directly involved.
2. All activities of the Commission, including consultations and voting, shall take place online.
3. The Commission’s decisions shall be taken by a majority vote, with at least three members participating.
4. The Commission’s opinion may be positive, conditional (with recommendations), or negative.
5. The project manager may respond to the recommendations and submit a revised version of the evaluation form.
§5. Final provisions
1. The rules of procedure of the Committee shall be determined by the CASE Management Board and may be amended by it as necessary.
