Classroom Research by Students
Research is defined as “any systematic investigation designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.” Generalizable knowledge refers to any systematically gathered data which is intended for dissemination (publication or presentation) beyond the institutional setting and which might reasonably be generalized beyond the research sample.
Classroom Research by Students
Classroom research (usually in the form of course assigned research projects) is typically intended to provide students an opportunity to practice various research methods such as interview, observation and survey techniques, and data analysis. These classroom projects are often limited in scope and do not lead to generalizable knowledge.
Such projects should not put the subjects at more than minimal risk, and the data must be recorded anonymously by the students (i.e., with no names, social security numbers, or any other codes that can be linked to a list of names). These projects are considered "classroom exercises" and are not subject to review by the IRB. They do not require review unless the student researcher or faculty member anticipates publishing the results or presenting at a professional meeting.
Role of the IRB
Any research conducted by students that does not fall under the definition of classroom research , which uses human beings as subjects or the data about humans, and which is intended for presentation or publication, must be reviewed and approved by the IRB.
This research should be submitted to the IRB by the faculty member teaching the course following the standard IRB submission procedure.
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