Information for Kenyon Researchers

Do I need IRB Approval?
If your research project involves you interacting with living people in any way, you may need IRB approval before you begin. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Kenyon College is a committee that reviews research involving human subjects in order to ensure that the rights and welfare of human subjects are protected. Federal law and Kenyon College policy mandate that all biomedical and social/behavioral research involving human subjects must receive IRB approval prior to the start of the research.

The following activities are NOT research

(effective Jan. 21, 2019)

(1) Scholarly and journalistic activities (e.g., oral history, journalism, biography, literary criticism, legal research, and historical scholarship), including the collection and use of information, that focus directly on the specific individuals about whom the information is collected.

(2) Public health surveillance activities, including the collection and testing of information or biospecimens, conducted, supported, requested, ordered, required, or authorized by a public health authority. Such activities are limited to those necessary to allow a public health authority to identify, monitor, assess, or investigate potential public health signals, onsets of disease outbreaks, or conditions of public health importance (including trends, signals, risk factors, patterns in diseases, or increases in injuries from using consumer products). Such activities include those associated with providing timely situational awareness and priority setting during the course of an event or crisis that threatens public health (including natural or man-made disasters).

(3) Collection and analysis of information, biospecimens, or records by or for a criminal justice agency for activities authorized by law or court order solely for criminal justice or criminal investigative purposes.

(4) Authorized operational activities (as determined by each agency) in support of intelligence, homeland security, defense, or other national security missions.

What do I need to get an IRB Review?

Training: see kenyon.edu/directories/offices-services/office-of-the-provost/conducting-research-at-kenyon/citi-programs-for-research-education. A completed application form (protocol) A Consent Form/Process Additional Supporting Documents (questionnaires, interview questions, surveys) If you plan to conduct research at sites that are not affiliated with Kenyon College (such as a private or public grade school, a medical clinic, or an employer’s offices), you will need to provide a letter of permission showing that someone in a position of authority at that site agreed to allow you to conduct research at the site. Signed Assurance Page (deliver to Bailey House, send in campus mail, or send a scanned copy to peelle@kenyon.edu)

Tips for Kenyon IRB Applications

Get the required training. Kenyon uses CITI https://www-archive.kenyon.edu/directories/offices-services/office-of-the-provost/conducting-research-at-kenyon/citi-programs-for-research-education/
Develop a study protocol before you start filling out the application. Here is an outline that will help you: Protocol Outline
http://documents.kenyon.edu/provost/irb.protocoloutline.doc .
This may seem like a lot of work now, but it will pay off as you write your application, and eventually as you prepare your end project.
Work with the IRB Administrator before during and after submitting an IRB review application. At Kenyon, the IRB Administrator is the first reviewer. She decides what level of review a protocol receives. If the Administrator asks for additional information, documentation, explanation, respond quickly. Among other things, she will help you think about risks, benefits, and review levels. 740-427-5748; peelle@kenyon.edu
It is very important to be clear about who you are going to recruit to be subjects, why you are recruiting them, and how you will recruit them. Include your recruitment letter, email, script, advertisement. See Recruiting Subjects
https://www-archive.kenyon.edu/directories/offices-services/office-of-the-provost/conducting-research-at-kenyon/institutional-research-board-irb/information-for-researchers/recruitment-of-subjects/
Make sure that you develop an excellent consent process and create the necessary forms, texts, scripts, etc. (consent, parental consent, child assent) If you are dealing with non-English speaking subjects, everything must be translated and documents in both languages must be submitted to the IRB.
Be sure that you include questions for interviews, any visual materials used, preview links to online surveys, copies of any materials that will be given to or shown to the subjects. See Interviews, Surveys, Online Research
https://www-archive.kenyon.edu/directories/offices-services/office-of-the-provost/conducting-research-at-kenyon/institutional-research-board-irb/information-for-researchers/interviews-surveys-online-research/
Low-risk studies that can qualify for an exemption or studies that can undergo an expedited review are usually handled fairly quickly (2-10 days). If your study involves children or other protected groups or if your study is likely to involve more than minimal risk, your application may have to go through the full board. The IRB is usually scheduled to meet three times a semester. An application for a full board review must be received a week or more ahead of the scheduled meeting. Schedule
https://www-archive.kenyon.edu/directories/offices-services/office-of-the-provost/conducting-research-at-kenyon/institutional-research-board-irb/kenyon-irb-committee/irb-meeting-dates

Additional Resources

Check the links below for help with developing an IRB application for particular types of research you are planning and additional resources for research compliance.

Most minimal risk, social /behavioral research, done in the U.S. by Kenyon researchers can be reviewed in an exempt or expedited review.

Qualitative Research

Observational Research

Interviews, Surveys, Online Research

Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement (QA/QI) studies (Departmental Alumni surveys, Assessment of services, etc.)

Data Management Plans

Training