Institutional Review Board (IRB):

Ethical considerations in research are critical.  Ethics are the norms or standards for conduct  that distinguish between right and wrong.  They help to determine the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behaviors.  Why are ethical considerations so important in research?  First, ethical standards prevent against the fabrication or falsifying of data and therefore, promote the pursuit of knowledge and truth which is the primary goal of research.  Ethical behavior is also critical for collaborative work because it encourages an environment of trust, accountability, and mutual respect among researchers.  This is especially important when considering issues related to data sharing, co-authorship, copyright guidelines, confidentiality, and many other issues.  Researchers must also adhere to ethical standards in order for the public to support and believe in the research.  The public wants to be assured that researchers followed the appropriate guidelines for issues such as human rights, animal welfare, compliance with the law, conflicts of interest, safety, health standards and so on.  The handling of these ethical issues greatly impact the integrity of the research project and can affect whether or not the project receives funding.

One of the most important ethical considerations in research is the use of human subjects.  To address these considerations, most institutions and organizations have developed an Institutional Review Board (IRB).  An IRB is a panel of people who help to ensure the safety of human subjects in research and who assist in making sure that human rights are not violated.  They review the research methodology in research proposals to assure that ethical practices are being utilized.  The use of an IRB also helps to protect the institution and the researchers against potential legal implications from any behavior that may be deemed unethical.

Examples of some of these issues include voluntary participation and informed consent.  These principles are followed to guarantee that all human subjects are choosing to participate of their own free will and that they have been fully informed regarding the procedures of the research project and any potential risks.  Ethical standards also protect the confidentiality and anonymity of the subjects.

IRB at GCU

Because most SoTL projects involve the collection of data from students, the IRB approval process must be completed before moving forward with your project.  The following video explains the importance of IRB approval as it relates to SoTL:

Following is a list of the steps required at GCU to submit for IRB approval:

All faculty researchers and doctoral learners are required to obtain approval from the GCU's Institutional Review Board (IRB)  in accordance with GCU's ethical standards as well as U.S. federal regulations. Researchers may not begin recruiting participants or implementing data collection activities until they receive official notification of IRB approval. The IRB Resource Center  will help ensure the IRB submission process goes as smoothly as possible. To begin the process or to review the necessary steps, please go to:  GCU Institutional Review Board.

Video tutorials are also available

To complete the assignment for Week 8, create an IRB.net account and upload your CITI Completion Report. Complete as many of the relevant IRB documents as possible. Once you receive your Site Authorization letter of approval from Week 7, you will be ready to submit for IRB approval.