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  • 1.  Using a course syllabus as a protocol

    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous
    Posted 01-23-2024 07:33
    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

    Greetings All,

    We have a faculty researcher, who will be using semester-long coursework as their research data. In the Initial application, the PI gives a very brief summary of the course work and references reviewers to review the course syllabus for a full description of each course task. The PI doesn't explain how any of these tasks will answer the research questions.  This will more than likely be exempt. But would other institutions accept a syllabus instead of a well-written full description of study procedures for IRB approval/Exempt determination?

    I appreciate the feedback. 



  • 2.  RE: Using a course syllabus as a protocol

    Posted 01-24-2024 03:59

    We would not accept this. Aside from not having enough specific information on the actual protocol, it does not address recruitment, informed consent, whether FRPA applies, etc. They must submit a full IRB application.



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    Dana J. Lawrence, DC, MMedEd, MA
    Senior Director of Faculty Development and Special Projects
    Parker University
    Dallas, TX
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Using a course syllabus as a protocol

    Posted 01-24-2024 13:45

    The question of how to review this is an interesting one. For example, depending upon the nature of what is going on, it might not qualify as research. Assuming that it is, you should follow the standards and practices established by your HRPP program. For example, on your Federalwide Assurance, did you check the box indicating that you are going to apply part A to all research? Additionally, I know that many HRPPs review all research as though it were non-Exempt (i.e., considerations of risk and benefit, criteria for approval are considered, etc.) while others only do reviews of non-Exempt programs.

     

    At the end of the day, you need to feel that you had sufficient information to determine whether the research practice is being performed ethically. You also probably should consider the potential for this to serve as a precedent for this research group and others and whether you want to be intuiting guesses about what researchers are actually doing. If you don't have enough information, it's hard to imagine that you could make the informed choices necessary for evaluating the research project, at least in my mind.

     

     




    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Using a course syllabus as a protocol

    Posted 02-21-2024 12:02

    We treat Faculty led - student classroom projects (SCP) as a human subject research determination (HSR) submission via a Google form. 99% of the time they are deemed Not Research. That said, for best practice, the Faculty are required to submit their syllabus, CV, their HSR training completion and any other pertinent materials, such as a consent language sample.  If the students are doing individual projects, they need to submit an individual determination of HSR in Cayuse.  Policy 

    __
    Tina Aubut
    Human Research Protections Assistant
    University of Southern Maine
    Office of Research Integrity and Outreach
    tina.aubut@maine.edu


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    Tina Aubut
    Human Research Protections Assistant
    University of Southern Maine
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    Original Message


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