New Procedures for Students Doing Research for Class Assignments
Faculty: see recommendations at the bottom of the page
Students Conducting
Research for Class Assignments:
Students who are conducting research for a class assignment
do NOT need to submit a proposal to HPRB as long as all of the following
conditions are met:
The project does not meet the official
definition of research: a systematic investigation designed to develop or
contribute to generalizable knowledge.
oMany class assignments are intended to teach
research methodologies or techniques, not to contribute to generalizable
knowledge. If this is the case, they do
not need to undergo HPRB review.
oAssignments that are designed to be
generalizable, such as capstones or independent studies, should be submitted to
HPRB for review.
The project does not involve vulnerable
populations.
oIf the project will include vulnerable
populations, as defined by federal guidelines to include "children, prisoners,
pregnant women, mentally disabled persons or economically or educationally
disadvantaged persons," then it must be submitted to HPRB for review.
The project does not involve more than minimal
risk.
oMinimal risk is defined by federal guidelines as "the probability and magnitude of harm or discomfort anticipated in the
research are not greater in and of themselves than those ordinarily encountered
in daily life or during the performance of routine physical or psychological
examinations or tests."
oProjects that involve more than minimal risk,
such as those that ask participants to reveal seriously incriminating
information, should be submitted to HPRB for review.
The results of the project will not be
disseminated beyond PLU.
oIf results of the project will be presented
outside of PLU, such as at a regional or national conference, or submitted for
publication, the project must be submitted to HPRB for review.
oPost-facto
approval is not possible. Thus, if a
student feels like they may want to present or publish her/his findings outside
of PLU, they should submit a proposal prior to any work with human subjects.
oPresentation at PLU, such as in a course,
department, or School presentation, is allowed even without HPRB approval.
Information for Faculty
Faculty are responsible for teaching their
students about ethical research and ensuring that their students achieve the
highest standards of research ethics.
Although class assignments that
meet the above criteria are not required to be submitted to HPRB for approval,
we offer the following guidelines to faculty who assign such projects:
HPRB
strongly recommends that instructors require all students who will be
interacting with human participants to complete the HPRB proposal as part of
the class assignment, even though this proposal will not be forwarded to
HPRB. This will (1) educate students
about the research process and the importance of peer review of research ethics
in that process; (2) prepare students to complete the proposal for HPRB
submission if and when they conduct independent research projects; and (3)
allow the instructor to provide detailed feedback to each student about the
ethics of his/her project.
Faculty
need to be aware of the kind of projects their students are involved in and to
advise students away from projects that students are not prepared to
conduct. For example, students engaging
in their first research project should be advised against projects that are too
sensitive or complex given their current level of expertise.
HPRB
will offer consultation and training to faculty who assign research-based
projects in their courses so that faculty may adequately educate their students
about the process. The current CITI
Training also provides this education for both faculty and students.
HPRB
members will be available to assist instructors and to answer questions about
the ethical considerations for specific projects. If instructors have special concerns about
the ethics of a specific student project, this project may be referred to HPRB
for full review.
