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Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects

IRB Review of Class Projects

Class projects involving participation of human subjects in research are required to undergo IRB review.  A project is considered research if the findings of the class project will be submitted for publication, presented at conferences or meetings, presented to other classes, posted on a website, used for future research, or included with applications for graduate school or employment.  A class project that involves data collection activities for the express purpose of writing a paper or report for the instructor, or to share with other students in the class is NOT research and does not need to be submitted for review by the IRB.

IRB review of class projects is intended to ensure:

• the protection of the  rights and welfare of human subjects/participants in research;
• that student researchers are conducting ethically and scientifically sound research;and,
• that the research conforms to NAU human subject research requirements.

Once an instructor has decided to submit the class project for IRB review, the application is available on-line at: http://www.research.nau.edu/vpr/IRB/index.htm

Since projects may vary within a class, the Initial Application needs to include additional information outlined below.  Instructors are responsible for documenting student activities and verifying student completion of the on-line NAU Tutorial Module  at: http://www.research.nau.edu/vpr/IRB/index.htm
The Initial Application should include:

1. A description of the range of projects.
2. A description of the nature of topics to be investigated and the hypothesis or research question.
3. A description of target populations.
4. A description of methodologies that will be used and methodologies taught in the course (this should include data collection instruments, types of questions to be asked for qualitative or case studies, observations, or oral histories).
5. A clear explanation of how participants will be identified and recruited.
6. A description of the informed consent process (with informed consent and/or assent documents).
7. A clear description of the risks and benefits.
8. A description of confidentiality of the subject is protected.
9. Documentation that all students have passed the on-line NAU Tutorial Module.
10. For projects involving audio or video-recording, describe how the tapes will be used, where and how they will be maintained, who will have access to the recordings, and when they will be destroyed.
11. An Initial Application can also be submitted by the instructor for individual student research in the class.

In addition to the above an instructor must also be aware of the following conditions concerning research with special or vulnerable subjects:
If any proposed research targets special or vulnerable populations, the instructor should provide written documentation of the special skills and/or sensitivities of the individual researcher(s) involved. Special and vulnerable populations include children (under age 18), prisoners (juvenile or adult), pregnant women, Native Americans living on reservations, persons who are educationally or economically disadvantaged, persons who are cognitively impaired and persons who are undocumented. For further information on special and vulnerable populations, see the IRB Reference Document. Note: The IRB Strongly Discourages class projects targeting special populations or sensitive issues. 

It is unlikely that if the application goes before the Full Board that approval will occur in time for the project to be completed before the end of the semester. Students often do not have specialized training or sensitivity appropriate for working with special populations.  (Note: membership in a special group does not automatically denote skill or sensitivity, nor does non-membership automatically exclude an individual.)  If class projects include applications that must be reviewed by the Full Board, the faculty member may be asked to attend the Full Board IRB meeting to discuss/justify the need for the research. 

In all cases, instructors are responsible for:
1. Keeping a file of all project descriptions, designs and instrumentation.
2. Ensuring that each project has appropriate informed consent and/or assent forms.
3. Maintaining signed copies of signed consent forms.
4. Reporting any incidents or unanticipated events to the IRB.
5. Submission to the IRB of an amendment form for changes or revisions of approved research.
6. Submission to the IRB of a continuing review application about 30 days before expiration of the IRB approval date.

Members of the IRB would be happy to meet with you to discuss application for class projects, or to visit with your class and discuss IRB processes and requirements.  Please contact Paula.Garcia@nau.edu, or call 523-8288 for additional information.