IRB
IRB best practice indicates that surveys that are done for the sole purpose of feedback on a product, or feedback on services provided, do not need any type of IRB approval if the results of that survey will not be published. If you have any doubts or questions as to whether your research ideas would need IRB approval, please contact the IRB Chair, Lisa Karch at lisa.karch@mnstate.edu directly.
IRB
Protocol for Survey Research: Key Questions for Consideration
(Dr. Lee Garth Vigilant, Professor
of Sociology, IRB Member)
MSUM's Institutional Review Board
(IRB) has a simple mandate: to carefully review all research involving human
subjects. The IRB is concerned about ethical issues (not methodological
ones). Ethical issues involve (1) the conduct of investigators
(professors, administrators, students, etc.) in the course of scientific
research and (2) the well-being of human subjects as voluntary
participants in research studies.
Ten Questions for Survey Researchers
1. Which survey types
are exempt?
Research studies that are exempt
are those (1) "where the subjects are at no more than minimal
risks", (2) the subjects' confidentiality is maintained, and (3) the
research meets at least one of six criteria for exemption." The IRB
defines "minimal risks" as situations where the anticipated harm is
no more than "those ordinarily encountered in daily life or during the
performance of routine physical or psychological examinations or tests."
(See list of exempted research here: www.mnstate.edu/irb/)
2. Which survey types will be
expedited?
Research studies that "involves
no more than minimal risk" to one's subjects are typically reviewed as
expedited. Expedited applications are reviewed either by the IRB chairperson or
an IRB member.
3. Which survey types need full
review?
Research studies that carry "greater
than minimal risk" to one's subjects require a full review by the IRB.
Surveys involving extramural minors and vulnerable populations require full
review (i.e., prisoners, pregnant women, mentally ill, disabled individuals who
require special care to give consent such as the visual and hearing impaired,
elderly and cognitively impaired, those incapable to giving consent, etc). Surveys
that involve "psychologically sensitive" questions require a
full review.
4. What are examples of
"psychologically sensitive" survey questions
Psychologically sensitive
questions include, but are not limited to, queries on the following subjects:
- Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, and demeaning
behaviors:
- Drug use and abuse;
- Sexual attitudes, practices, preferences;
- Financial status, employability, and reputation
- Medical record and health conditions (esp. where
disclosure could lead to social stigmatization or discrimination);
- Psychological well-being or mental health;
- Political affiliations;
- Critical appraisals of individuals with close family
relationships;
- Income, other than that required by law to determine
eligibility for participation in a program or for receiving assistance
under a program.
5. What is the time frame
for a survey to receive exempt/expedited review and full review?
An exempt/expedited review typically
takes 10-12 days to complete. The time frame for a full review is typically
one month from the submitted date, and the IRB committee usually meets
monthly to review these applications.
6. What does it mean to be a
"principal investigator" (P.I.) in a survey study, and what special
duties and responsibilities accrue to this titleholder? can a
student-researcher be a P.I.?
The P.I. is the person who is
ultimately responsible for the research and its outcome. The P.I. must be a
MSUM faculty member. The P.I must complete the required NIH on-line training
prior to submitting an application for review. A link to the Office for Human Research
Protections (OHRP) on-line training can be found on the IRB homepage: www.mnstate.edu/irb/. Undergraduate and graduate
students cannot be the P.I. for an IRB proposal.
7. What added precautions must
on-line survey researchers take?
Researchers using on-line surveys
must take extra precautions to protect the anonymity of research participants
and must use a designated and secured MSUM account for research conducted on
the internet and research that uses email (or other electronic means) as a
method of communication.
8. If I am collaborating with a
colleague from another institution where the colleague is the P.I. and he/she
has approval from his/her university's IRB, do I need to submit a proposal to
MSUM's IRB?
Yes. If the P.I. already has
approval from his/her university, typically an expedited MSUM review
should suffice.
9. What is informed consent, and
what are the specific elements of an informed consent form?
See www.mnstate.edu/irb/ for sample consent forms.
10. When conducting on-line
research that involves surveys with unknown subjects (or their avatars), such
as research in on-line communities like Second Life or other massively
multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), what specific steps should
be taken (by the researcher) to ensure that all research subjects are in fact
adults who can give informed consent?
This is a difficult question the IRB
is still trying to resolve. At the very least, the consent form for these
on-line surveys should specify that the study is restricted to adult
participants (18 years old and over).