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.
Before You Start Your IRB Application
Complete the CITI Training for Research using Human Subjects - REQUIRED
- All Kenyon researchers using human subjects must complete the online training course provided. CITI Human Subjects Research Educational Program Students doing research for Social Sciences, Humanities, or Psychology and most interdisciplinary programs should complete the modules designed for Social & Behavioral Research Investigators. Do NOT register for the IRB member course. (It will take much longer to complete!!!) Students involved in any biological/medical research should complete the modules for Biomedical Research Investigators. This training may help you develop a better, more thoughtful project.
Key Issues to Consider When Preparing Your Application
Description of the Project
- The protocol narrative is critical to the IRB understanding your research question(s), methodology/ies chosen and why, and engagement of human participants in your investigation. As such it is critical to adequately and fully describe the purpose of your proposed research and what risks participants may encounter as well as the benefits. (see Protocol Outline)
- You may have many sentences similar to “This study is important because…”, “This method and analysis strategy is chosen because…”, “Potential participants will be recruited from this group because…”, “Potential participants will be approached and invited to participate in the following manner because…”, “The data will be used and stored in the following ways because…” There should be a reason for each thing you do, ask, record, etc. in a study. If you can't explain why you are doing something in your study, don't do it.
- If you are using instruments, include citations for their validity (if appropriate) and what level of training is required to administer and interpret these instruments. If you are using oral interviews please provide a script. If you are asking open ended questions, please provide a list of the seed questions.
- Project Timelines and Dates -- be sure to allow sufficient time for obtaining signature approvals, permission letter(s) from school districts or other entities, and IRB review and approval. Protocols should have the specific start and end dates of the research project, not semester starting and ending dates.
Informed Consent Documents
- Informed consent documents should be personable and informative to allow participants to decide if they want to be part of the study. Three contact names and phone numbers should be on all consent forms: the researcher's, the faculty sponsor, and the IRB Designee, Jami Peelle, Kenyon College IRB Administrator, Bailey House, Gambier OH, 43022; 740-427-5748. This allows multiple contacts in the event that parents, participants or agency heads have questions concerning the proposed research.
- If you wish to have the IRB waive the requirement for signed written and or verbal informed consent, be sure to address the reason you are requesting the waiver; see the Informed Consent and Waiver of Consent page. Tools for developing informed consent documents may also be found on the IRB Forms page.
- If you are using deception in any way, please address why and describe how you will debrief the subjects.
- Finally, be sure to include that you are a Kenyon College student and that the information obtained will be used for your honors, senior capstone, or other research project. It is required that an unsigned copy of the informed consent be given to the participant to keep, whereas the researcher keeps a signed copy.
For additional guidance, see What are the IRB reviewers Looking for in my application?