Retrospective Ethics Approval

Retrospective ethics approval is the ethics committee's review and determination regarding research conducted or data collected before ethics approval was obtained. This situation arises when researchers collect data without advance ethics review (intentionally, out of oversight, or due to institutional gaps) and then seek ethics approval before analysis or publication. Retrospective approval is generally disfavored; regulations and guidelines strongly recommend prospective review (approval before data collection). However, retrospective determination of exemption (finding that data already collected meets exempt criteria under 45 CFR 46.104, similar frameworks in other jurisdictions) or retrospective approval with specific justifications may be possible. Understanding when retrospective approval can be obtained—and its limitations—is important for researchers facing this ethical and regulatory challenge.