Before you start a research project, it is essential that you plan all the steps of your research carefully and make arrangements to mitigate any potential ethical and scientific issues.
A research protocol is the documentary evidence that you have done so.
All research team members should be familiar with the research protocol and be guided by it in the conduct of a study. The research ethics committee (REC) refers to the research protocol when they consider whether to approve or reject your study.
However, a protocol is not a rigid document but rather, a ‘living’ one. Changes and improvements to the protocol are often necessary during the course of a study because unanticipated issues can, and do, arise. On such occasions, it is important that any protocol changes are communicated to the ethics committee promptly.
Basic structure of a research protocol →