Frequently Asked Questions

Which jurisdictions use ERM?

Research proposals should be submitted via ERM to Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs) associated with public health institutions in the following jurisdictions: Queensland, Victoria or Mater Research (Brisbane, Qld).

How do I know if I have an ERM account?

REVIEWER - If you had an account in RED, your email address would have transferred across in the data migration. Each reviewer must be assigned roles and a committee to access submissions in ERM. To add or remove a reviewer, please email helpdesk@infonetica.net and request an ERM Reviewer Access form. RESEARCHER - If you owned an application that was submitted prior to July 2018, then you should be able to login with the same details as your AU Online Forms account. If your email address and password does not allow you to gain access, contact helpdesk@infonetica.net.

How do I create an ERM account?

REVIEWER - To add or remove a reviewer, please email helpdesk@infonetica.net and request an ERM Reviewer Access form. RESEARCHER ONLY - Click on "New User". Fill in the applicable information (you can skip fields that are not relevant to you), and agree to the Terms and Conditions. NOTE: Password must be 8+ characters long, contain both upper and lowercase characters and contain at least 1 number. Click "Register" and an activation email will be sent to the entered address. Access email and click the activation link provided. Return to the login page and click "Log in".

How do I change my password?

To change your password click on your name in the top right corner. Click on Change Password. You will need to enter your old password, then enter your new password and reconfirm the new password.

I have forgotten my password what do I do?

Click on "Forgotten Password" on the login window. Enter your email address. You should receive an Password Reset email with the link. If you do not receive an email eg yahoo emails or some organisation/institutions that do not accept donotreply@infonetica.net emails, please contact Helpdesk@infonetica.net to reset your password.

My details have changed what do I do?

REVIEWER - To update your details click on your name in the top right corner. Click Edit Person Details and edit the required fields. If you are changing organisations and have a different email address, we recommend that the old account is deleted and a new account is created, please email helpdesk@infonetica.net and request an ERM Reviewer Access form so that the review is assigned the correct role and committee. RESEARCHER ONLY - To update your details click on your name in the top right corner. Click Edit Person Details and edit the required fields. To update your email address/login you must email Helpdesk@Infonetica.net please also provide a contact number.

Why do I keep having to sign into ERM?

REVIEWER - The system is set to time out after 240 minutes. Please save your responses to the questions in the form regularly to avoid losing data. RESEARCHER - The system is set to time out after 120 minutes. Please save your responses to the questions in the form regularly to avoid losing data.

How do I clear my cache after a software update?

Most operating systems will automatically cache IP addresses and other DNS results, this is done in order to speed up subsequent requests to the same hostname. Sometimes bad results will be cached or code has been revised after an update and therefore need to be cleared from the cache in order for you to communicate with the host correctly. All major operating systems allow you to force this process. Outlined below are the common steps you will need to follow in order to clear your cache - Chrome In the browser bar, enter: chrome://settings/clearBrowserData At the top of the "Clear browsing data" window, click Advanced. Select the following: • Cookies and other site data • Cached images and files From the "Time range" drop-down menu, you can choose the period of time for which you want to clear cached information. To clear your entire cache, select All time. Click CLEAR DATA. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser. Firefox From the History menu, select Clear Recent History. If the menu bar is hidden, press Alt to make it visible. From the Time range to clear: drop-down menu, select the desired range; to clear your entire cache, select Everything. Next to "Details", click the down arrow to choose which elements of the history to clear; to clear your entire cache, select all items. Click Clear Now. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser. Microsoft Edge In the top right, click the Hub icon (looks like star with three horizontal lines). Click the History icon (looks like a clock), and then select Clear all history. Select Cookies and saved website data, and then Cached data and files. Click Clear. After the "All Clear!" message appears, exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser. Internet Explorer 11 Select Tools > Safety > Delete browsing history.... If the menu bar is hidden, press Alt to make it visible. Deselect Preserve Favorites website data, and select: • Temporary Internet files or Temporary Internet files and website files • Cookies or Cookies and website data • History Click Delete. You will see a confirmation at the bottom of the window when the process is complete. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser. If you don’t have Tools/Safety click on the cog wheel (top right), then click Internet Options/Browsing History settings/Caches and databases, select and delete. Opera From the Opera menu, select Settings, then Privacy & Security, and then Clear browsing data.... In the dialog box that opens, from the "Obliterate the following items from:" drop-down menu, select The beginning of time. Select the following: • Cookies and other site data • Cached images and files Click Clear browsing data. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser. Safari 8 and later From the Safari menu, select Clear History... or Clear History and Website Data.... Select the desired time range, and then click Clear History. Go to Safari > Quit Safari or press Command-Q to exit the browser completely.

Why does text not appear in Action-Email documents?

If you are using ERM on Internet Explorer - If pasting text from Word, IE sometimes does not like the paragraph marks, numbered paragraphs or multiple tab ins (ie more than one indent) and the text will not appear. If copying from Word, either copy a section without a paragraph mark as this is where all the formatting information is stored, or paste into a text editor (such as Notepad) first then copy from there. This is not an ERM issue.

What is the timezone setting set to?

The timezone setting is set to Australia Eastern Standard Time (AEST).

I cannot see a project in my account from RED (legacy system) what do I do?

The owner of the project or form migrated from the RED system will be the applicant. If forms were not previously uploaded into RED then the owner will be the CPI or PI. For those with forms that were previously not visible in your ERM account, we have resolved some of the issues, please go back into your account and check if the form appears. Please ask the owner of the project or form to use the Role action to share the form with you. If you still experience any issues please send through details of applications that need urgent action such as further information or amendments etc so that we can give you access to Helpdesk@infonetica.net with the following - - Reviewing Ethic Committee or Research Governance Office; - Project Title; - HREC reference number; - Submission code; - Coordinating Principal Investigator/Principal Investigator.

I cannot re-submit further information/modifications for a project migrated from RED (legacy system) what do I do?

A form migrated from RED (Legacy system) cannot be unlocked or re-submitted. This is a READ only form; even if the form has not been approved. All correspondence including documents and changes to the form should be sent via Correspondence or email.

How do I delete a project?

Click on "Home" to get you back to the Work Area page. Click on the "Delete Project" Action's tile. Select the project you wish to delete and click "Delete" Note: A project that contains submissions cannot be deleted. Reconfirm by clicking "Yes" if you wish to remove the item.

How do I delete a subform that has been created in error?

Click on "Project" to open the project Work Area page. In the project tree, click on the Subform that you wish to delete. Click on the "Delete Form" Action tile. Note: A form that has been submitted cannot be deleted. A subform with subforms cannot be deleted until the child forms are deleted.

What happens to my form if there is a newer version of the form?

If a newer version of the form is available for update you will be prompted to do so. If the questions in the form are unchanged, the data you have entered will remain. NOTE: Click "Update"

What do I do if a warning appears to update my project?

Always print and save a copy of the form(s) before updating. WARNING! Answers in the form may disappear as the question or dependency may have changed. "WARNING: The project owner must update your project in order to submit this form Update" The warning to update is because the jurisdiction has re-published their portfolio of forms, if the researcher is on an older version of the project then the project owner has to update the project. At this stage, it is recommended that the owner updates the project to ensure that applications and application rules are up to date as the jurisdictions are fine tuning their systems. Always print and save a copy of the form before updating. Note that the SUBMITTED form will not change, only if the form has not been submitted or if the form has been unlocked will the questions and/or rules change. The researcher needs to contact the owner of the form to update the project. "Note: This will update all forms within this project. Please note that if you have existing signatures within the project then they will be invalidated after updating" If the form has not been submitted and the owner updates the project, any new questions added to the form will invalidate any signatures received. You can decide to complete the signatures and submit the form without updating the project if you want, however this will mean any NEW questions added to the form or new rules will not apply to that version of the form. Always print and save a electronic copy of the form before updating. WARNING! Answers in the form may disappear as the question or dependency may have changed. "Note: There is a new version of the project." This is the message you will see if you are the owner of the project. At this stage, it is recommended that the owner updates the project to ensure that applications and application rules are up to date as the jurisdictions are fine tuning their systems. Always print and save a electronic copy of the form before updating. Note that the SUBMITTED form will not change, only if the form has not been submitted or if the form has been unlocked will the questions and/or rules change. When several versions of a project have been created, the jurisdictions may decide to no longer accept submissions from previous form versions in which case you/or the owner will need to update the project.

How do I create a project?

A project refers to a study. It contains a main form such as the HREA or a LNR application and all the associated forms. Click on the "Home" link. Click on the "Create Project" tile within the Actions pane on the left side of the page. Enter a Project Title for your application. Select the Jurisdiction that the application will be submitted to. Select the form to be created and click the green "Create" button to continue.

How do I transfer a project?

If you are the current owner of the project and wish to transfer ownership to another ERM account holder, click on the "Home" link and click "Transfer" in the Actions pane on the left side of the screen. Enter the email address of the person you wish to transfer to. Select the projects you wish to transfer and click "Transfer". NOTE: once you have transferred the project and the recipient accepts the transfer you will relinquish all rights to the project and the project will not longer appear in your account.

How do I share the project with other researchers on this project?

If you only want to share the application in question, click on the "Share" tile within the Action pane and enter the email address of the person you wish to share the form with. NOTE: they will not be able to view up the branch of the project. If added by Share the Permissions are editable. If you want them to view the application in question and applications up the branch, eg to be able to read the subform and make changes etc AND be able to view the main form, click on the "Roles" tile within the Action pane, select the level of access and enter the email address of the person you wish to share the forms with. Once you have shared a form using "Roles" you can click on the Collaborators tab to check the permissions given. The importance of using "Roles" is to give the recipient read access to the main form. Once the Role is shared the Edit Permissions button is greyed out if the shares are added by Roles. In order to change the Permissions for a collaborator who has permission given by a Role you will need to run Roles again and then “Remove” the Role. “Remove” and “Remove all Permissions” does the same thing. After “Remove” the Share Roles page stays up and allows for the adding of a different Role.

How do I import the XML from hrea.gov.au?

You can only import an XML file from hrea.gov.au (The XML file from au.ethicsform.org WILL NOT import into the HREA form in ERM). In hrea.gov.au, once you have completed the HREA form you will need to navigate to the Download Application Attachments option and click "All Application Forms and Attachments" zip file. Save the file and extract the XML file and all supporting documents from the zip file. [Detailed instructions on how to obtain the XML file from hrea.gov.au – 1. Log into hrea.gov.au 2. On your Applications page, find your completed form. 3. Click on the 3 vertical dots in the left most column of the completed HREA form. 4. Select Download application attachments. 5. Click on the hyperlink “All application forms and attachments (.zip)" 6. Click on the downloaded zip file or go to File manager/Downloads to find the zip file. 7. Open the zip file, select the XML file and document file and click Extract to. 8. Select a destination folder or create a new folder for the documents.] See FAQ, how to create a project. Complete the ERM filter questions then click the "Navigate" tile in the Action pane on the left side of the page. Click on the "Import XML" tile, click Browse, select your XML file from your file manager and click "Open". Click on the "Completeness Check" tile in the Action pane to identify mandatory questions that need to be completed before you obtain signatures and submit. NOTE: Documents will need to be uploaded to the HREA in ERM and signatures will need to be collected again.

How to respond to Request for Further Infomation for a New Application

Responding to request for further information for a New Application 1. Log in to ERM 2. Check the notification tile 3. Click on the Further info requested message 4. In the pop up window click ‘View form’. This will take you back to the original form you completed for your application. 5. Click the section/s you need to change. You can upload the new documents in the same sections as previously used 6. Run a completeness check. This will ensure you have completed everything you need to submit, you will get a message regarding Chief Investigator signature click the hyper link to sign. 7. Use ERM log in details to electronically sign. A screen confirming the form has been signed is displayed. 8. Click on the ‘Submit’ action tile on the left of the screen to submit your changes. 9. Once ERM confirms that your application is complete and ready to submit, click on submit button in the pop up window 10. Your application is only submitted when you see the confirmation screen ‘Form Submitted’.