Under TCPS 2, which scenario is exempt from REB review?

• A. Research that relies exclusively on information that is publicly accessible and for which there is no reasonable expectation of privacy.
• B. Research conducted outside Canada
• C. Any research with minimal risk
• D. All research conducted by graduate students

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that TCPS 2 allows exemptions from REB review when the study relies exclusively on information that is publicly available and there is no reasonable expectation of privacy. When researchers use data that anyone could access publicly and there’s no identifiable private information or risk to individuals’ privacy, there’s effectively no research risk needing ethical oversight, so REB review isn’t required.

That’s why the scenario described fits best: it uses only publicly accessible information and there’s no reasonable expectation of privacy. The other scenarios aren’t automatically exempt: conducting research outside Canada does not automatically bypass REB review, minimal risk does not itself create an exemption under TCPS 2, and being a graduate student does not grant blanket exemption from ethics review.