Self-audit as part of a research governance framework for health research

Clinical research is an area of increasing activity for hospitals, universities and research institutions, which requires formal governance and oversight to manage risks. Monitoring research practice should be a part of research governance activities. However, formal audits have proved time consuming for researchers and auditors. To increase attention to good research practice and screen for poor practice, the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at Monash University and the Alfred Research and Ethics Unit in Melbourne have developed a brief self-audit tool for researchers. We evaluated the self-audit using a questionnaire for researchers. The results were positive, with most respondents believing that it promoted good research practice.