吃瓜网

Note: the policies set forth in this section are in addition to, and not prejudicial to, any other policies and regulations of the University.

The policies of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) are intended to protect the rights and well-being of persons who are subjects of research that is sponsored, funded, conducted, or supervised by the 吃瓜网 and its faculty. These policies seek:

• To assure such privacy as may be reasonably expected by those who are survey participants or otherwise subjects of observation
• To secure confidentiality and other rights of persons who are the subjects of research that seeks to alter significantly the behavior or state of health of the subjects, or that poses more than minimal risk that participation in the research may significantly affect the physical or emotional well-being of the subjects.

No researcher may include in the publication of the results of a survey or other observational technique such data or other information by which the identity of an individual participant in the survey, or the identity of an individual observational subject, may be directly discovered, unless the participant or subject has given express, informed, and deliberate consent to such identification.

The researcher is responsible for maintaining written records of any such consent, in such form that the consent is not merely implied but reasonably demonstrated. Such records shall be maintained for a period of seven years from the date of publication of the research results and shall be open to inspection at any time within that period by the Institutional Review Board.

• Research on human subjects which poses more than a minimal risk to the physical or emotional well-being of the subjects
• Research using participants from vulnerable populations, such as children or individuals with limited cognitive abilities
• Research that seeks to alter significantly and beyond a short term their behavior or state of health.

Any of the above shall require prior review and approval by the IRB without regard to the source of sponsorship or funding of the research.

Research involving human subjects is specifically exempt from the prior approval of the IRB if any of the following conditions apply:

• Only observational or survey techniques are used, in public settings or in settings in which in ordinary life outside the research protocol there is no reasonable expectation of privacy or confidentiality.
• The research uses only testing or other techniques ordinarily used in an educational setting.
• The anticipated probability and magnitude of harm or discomfort to the subjects or participants in the research are not greater in and of themselves than those ordinarily encountered in daily life or during the performance of routine physical or psychological examinations or tests.

A faculty member who requires students to undertake research on human subjects, which research is believed to fall under the provisions for general exemption from prior review as specified shall:

1. Provide to every research student a written protocol establishing parameters for the research that will ensure that the research shall be and remain within the provisions for exemption
2. Provide a copy of this protocol to the IRB before the research begins

A faculty member making such a research assignment assumes full responsibility for ensuring that all research carried out by a student meets the parameters described in the protocol submitted to the IRB, and that any research outside the scope of that protocol is submitted for separate review by the IRB.

Non-Exempt Research:

An investigator who plans research which falls within the scope of needing approval from the IRB as outlined above shall make application to the IRB, through the Presidents Office, for approval of the research before beginning the actual research work. The IRB may not approve such research begun without its approval.

An application template, with instructions included, should be downloaded, filled in, and submitted (see application for specific instructions).

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Exempt Research:

For a research project which is exempt, although no prior approval is needed in order to begin research, a registration of the project with the IRB is required. This can be done by filling out the form for . In addition to the form submission, a copy of the protocol detailing the controlling parameters of the research should be submitted to the IRB.

The Chairman of the IRB shall provide a copy of the application to every member of the IRB. The members shall consider the application and meet to vote on the application. The IRB may approve the application, disapprove the application, or require modification of the research proposal.

The IRB must vote on the application and notify the applicant of the vote within thirty days of receiving the application, except, however, the IRB may extend its consideration for an additional thirty days if the complex or unusual nature of the proposed research requires more extended consideration or assistance from one or more outside experts. Any further extension may be appealed by the applicant to the President of the University, who must act within ten days either to approve or disapprove such further extension, which must be to a date certain.

Should an application be disapproved, the reasons therefore must be given in writing to the applicant. If the IRB requires modification of the research proposal, the required modification(s) must be specifically enumerated and the grounds for each modification must be stated.

Every investigator who has secured from the IRB prior approval of a research project shall annually report to the IRB on the progress of the investigation, specifically discussing the operation of the safeguards for the rights and welfare of the human subjects involved in the research, with special mention of any complaints or problems that have arisen in that regard.

The IRB shall have authority to oversee any research for which it has granted prior approval, and shall have power to require special reports of the investigators, and to stop the research work if it finds compelling evidence of damage to the rights or welfare of human subjects of the research, or failure to implement fully the safeguards of rights and welfare stated in the application for approval, even if there is no evidence of specific instances of damage or abuse. Researchers are required to notify immediately the IRB of any situation where there is an injury, harm, or complaint of a participant.

A faculty member who is not certain that a particular research project, of his own or of one or more of his students, is exempt from prior review under the provisions for general exemption shall make an application for prior approval and request an advisory opinion as to whether the research is exempt. Such an application may be eligible for expedited review by the Chairman of the IRB or by a single voting member of the IRB designated for such purpose by the IRB.

If the faculty member requests such expedited review, an opinion shall be rendered not later than the end of the second business day following the calendar day on which the request is made. Should the IRB or its designee issue an opinion that a particular research project is exempt from prior approval, that opinion may be relied upon, but only by that faculty member and only for the particular research project specified by the applicant in the application.