Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the Protection of Human Subjects
Lindsey Wilson College is committed to following high ethical
standards in fulfilling its mission of teaching, research, and
public service. This commitment is safeguarded by the
Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB reviews the ethical
suitability of all projects (research, simulation, or training)
involving human subjects as participants. The following
guidelines and ethical principles apply to the IRB in its review of
- All activities involving humans in research, training, and
simulation must provide for the safety, health, and welfare of
every individual. Rights, including the right to privacy,
must not be unduly infringed.
- The direct or potential benefits to the subject and/or the
importance of the knowledge gained must outweigh the inherent risks
to the individual.
- Participation in projects must be voluntary. Informed consent
must be obtained from all subjects, unless this requirement is
waived by the IRB.
- An individual has the right to withdraw from a project at any
time or may refuse to participate without loss of benefits to which
he/she would be otherwise entitled. In case of a class requirement,
this restriction may be waived.
- Maintaining confidentiality of information gained about an
individual during a project is a primary responsibility of the
Research proposals may be divided into two categories for
purposes of the protection under this policy: Exempt and
Non-Exempt. The determination of whether a study involving
human subjects is exempt or non-exempt is made by the
- Research involving the collection or study of existing data,
documents, or records if these sources are publicly available or if
the information is recorded by the investigator in such a manner
that subjects cannot be identified directly or through identifiers
linked to the subjects.
- Research and demonstration projects that are designed to study,
evaluate, or otherwise examine:
- Public benefit or service programs
- Procedures for obtaining benefits or services to those under
- Possible changes in methods or levels of payments for benefits
or services under these programs
- Research conducted in established educational settings,
involving normal educational practices, such as:
- Research in regular and special educational instruction
- Research on the effectiveness of the comparison among
instructional techniques, curricula, or classroom management
- Research that involves the use of educational tests (cognitive,
aptitude, achievement), surveys, interview procedures, or
observations of public behavior UNLESS
- The information is recorded in such a way that human subjects
can be identified directly or through identifiers linked to
- Any disclosure of the human subject's responses outside the
research could reasonably place the subject at risk of criminal or
civil liability or be damaging to the subject's financial standing,
employability, or reputation.
- Research, including surveys that involve minors, the elderly,
prisoners, clinical populations, inclusive of any clients in any
therapeutic setting/relationship with a potential researcher, or
any other vulnerable populations, should undergo IRB review.
- If data can be linked to a participant's identity, and thus
there is a lack of anonymity or confidentiality, or if there is
explicit or implicit coercion, inclusive of a therapeutic
relationship, IRB review is required.
- A completed proposal, including an informed consent form and
debriefing statement must be provided. Detailed information
may be found in The Faculty Handbook or by contacting the
Academic Affairs office.
Information on membership and guidelines for submitting
proposals are available from the Academic Affairs office, in the
online Faculty Forms folders, and The Faculty