These FAQ pages were modified with permission of Claremont Graduate University, 2011.
Research Ethics
Institutional Review Board Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A key question to ask in beginning the IRB process is whether the project is considered research. In general, research is defined by the Department of Health and Human Services as a "systematic investigation, including research development,...
If an instructor wishes to recruit and involve students in his or her own classes in a research activity which will directly benefit the instructor (a dissertation research project, for example), the instructor should consider...
Issues considered in the analysis include:
- Which level of review should the proposal receive;
- Whether risks to participants are minimized;
- How participants are approached so that they can readily refuse;
- ...
If you are a faculty member, staff member, or student at Grinnell College and your research involves the use of human participants (either directly or through records), your research requires Grinnell IRB review. Please consult the...
Research applications are reviewed at one of three levels, depending on the level of risk to the human participants and on the federal regulations that define the categories of review, which are exempt, expedited, and full board review. The...
Once you have decided to use human participants in your research:
- Complete ethics training.
- Complete an IRB protocol application and submit it to the IRB (irb@grinnell.edu);
- ...
Mail sent to irb@grinnell.edu is processed initially by support staff who indexes the proposals and save documents to our IRB storageserver space. A member of the board is assigned to examine the...
The IRB may determine there is insufficient information to approve or disapprove an application. If this is the case, the IRB will ask the researcher to provide additional information. When the information is received by the IRB...
No. Whenever an application is received, it is evaluated by a board member to determine which level of review is appropriate. Many research proposals will be exempt from complete review. In these cases, the board members checks that all...
The usual turn around for an approved proposal that does not require full board review is within 10 days. The actual time varies depending upon the level of review and whether or not the proposal needs further clarification.
...You must notify the IRB if you wish to change any aspect of your research by submitting a modification proposal form that indentifies the changes, along with an explanation of the changes made to your research.
Substantial changes in the...
Approval is valid for the requested duration of the project listed by the researcher on the proposal form up until one year. For projects lasting more than 1 year, the researchers must submit a Continuing Review Form within a month prior...
The principal investigator (PI) is ultimately responsible for the conduct of research, including ensuring that an investigation is conducted according to the approved protocol and the applicable regulations. The PI is also responsible for the...
Because the central requirement for human participants research is that people participate voluntarily, the consent process is one of the more important parts of the research project. The process must assure that the potential...
