SESSION KEYWORDS: Multi-jurisdictional Research, Military, Social Science Research, Canadian Armed Forces

SESSION ABSTRACT

The Department of National Defence (DND) and Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) Social Science Research Review Board (SSRRB) is mandated by Defence policy (Defence Administrative Orders and Directives 5061 and 5062) to review social science research with members of the Defence Team (e.g., actively serving CAF members of the Regular Forces or Primary Reserves, DND public servants, cadets, applicants and prospects) from an ethical, methodological, and technical/contextual perspective. The SSRRB ensures that the research adheres to the TCPS 2 and respects the rights of Defence Team personnel, that the research is conducted in accordance with accepted professional practices, and that it considers and incorporates organizationally and contextually appropriate factors that are unique to the CAF including considering the vulnerability of CAF members, and demonstrates appropriate organizational support from internal sponsors and commands for the research to occur. This applies to internally generated social science research, as well as to research proposed by external-to-defence researchers, including academic research. As such, the SSRRB regularly deals with multijurisdictional research when academic researchers propose research with Defence Team members. The SSRRB has been adapting its approach to multijurisdictional review to facilitate research with Defence Team personnel. The SSRRB has adopted several approaches to navigate reviews of multijurisdictional research and will be continuing to work with academic REBs to adapt its processes accordingly. The SSRRB’s experience with multijurisdictional research reviews and working with researchers from various institutions, may benefit members of the ethics community and provide an opportunity to obtain feedback and suggestions on best practices to apply the review models, where the SSRRB is accountable for research within the CAF/DND, and has the familiarity and expertise for working with the Defence Team, including characteristics unique to the military that may not be familiar to, or considered by academic REBs.