Table 2

Documentation of ERC approval and consent in theses; five yearly trends

Theses by 5 year period
Documentation of ERC Approval
Documentation of obtaining consent

Year of submission
Total
Documented (%)
Approval letter attached (%)
Documented or not relevant (%)

1980 – 1985
09
0 (0)
0 (0)
3 (33.3)
1986 – 1990
33
4 (12.14)
0 (0)
10 (30.0)
1991 – 1995
91
15 (15.4)
1 (1.1)
52 (57.1)
1996 – 2000
69
36 (52.1)
5 (7.2)
50 (72.5)
2001 – 2005
89
44 (49.4)
14 (15)
71 (79.8)

Total
291
99 (34.0)
20 (6.9)
186 (63.9)*

* 8 thesis have mentioned that consent was not relevant

Sumathipala et al. BMC Medical Ethics 2008 9:3   doi:10.1186/1472-6939-9-3