IRB: John Carroll University

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IRB APPLICATION HELP:
Classroom Research Projects

In most cases, class projects involving human participants are not intended to contribute to generalizable knowledge and therefore are not covered under the federal regulations for IRBs.

IRB approval should be obtained using the IRB Application if

(1)	data will be collected from a human participant (e.g., opinions, behaviors, feelings, personal information), regardless of the sensitivity of the data,
	and
(2)	the results of the classroom research project will contribute to generalizable knowledge (e.g., by publishing -- including master’s theses; presenting outside the class; citing in another paper; poster presentations).

Human participants Research Awareness

Instructors are encouraged to discuss the policies and ethics behind the utilization of human participants in research with their class when data is collected from human participants, regardless if the project falls under IRB purview or not. For those instructors who would like additional guidance on training, the John Carroll IRB suggests the following list of topics:

(1)	The basic ethical principles of human participants research, as outlined in the Belmont Report
(2)	The Code of Federal Regulations, 45 CFR 46
(3)	Informed consent process and the required elements of informed consent (for information on informed consent such as sample consent forms and the consent checklist, see Informed Consent.)
(4)	Anonymity and/or confidentiality of the data. How the distribution of the data instruments, and the collection and handling of the data can affect anonymity and confidentiality.
(5)	Basic information about John Carroll’s Institutional Review Board and application process
(6)	The need for extra protections with vulnerable participant populations (e.g., prisoners, children, pregnant women) and with sensitive research topics (e.g., research on an illegal behavior, mental illness, sexual practices, HIV/AIDS, abortion).

John Carroll’s IRB has developed a 45 minute PowerPoint presentation on the basics of human participant research and the IRB’s policies. Instructors who wish to incorporate this training into their class or would like to schedule a classroom presentation should contact the John Carroll IRB Administrator at 216-397-1527.

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John Carroll University, University Heights, OH 44118 | (216) 397-4520 | (888) 335-6800 (toll-free) | (216) 397-3089 (fax)