IRB Guidelines

Section XII: Class Projects Exemption

"Class Projects" refers to any class related work that involves human participants. Even though this work is not regarded as research (defined in the federal regulations as “a systematic investigation designed to contribute to generalizable knowledge”) the Human Subjects Office must be notified prior to initiation to ensure that it falls within the parameters given below and is exempt from IRB review.

A. Parameters for Class Projects:

1. NO MINORS: The project cannot include minors or any other vulnerable populations like pregnant women, prisoners, those who lack the capacity to consent, non-English speaking individuals etc.
   Exception: Projects conducted in established or commonly accepted educational settings, involving normal educational practices, such as: work on regular and special education instructional strategies, or work on the effectiveness of, or the comparison among instructional techniques, curricula, or classroom management methods.
2. NO MORE THAN MINIMAL RISK: "Minimal risk" is the probability and magnitude of harm that is normally encountered in the daily lives of healthy individuals. This also precludes the study of any illegal activities or the collection of private information that could put the participants at risk through a breach of confidentiality.
3. NO DECEPTION: The class project cannot include any deception. Individuals must be fully informed and given the opportunity to voluntarily consent to participation.
4. NO PUBLICATION: Data from class projects approved under this exemption cannot be used for publication or for thesis/dissertation research.
5. NO VIDEO RECORDING: Audio recording is allowed only if the recording is erased upon transcription or no later than the end of the semester.

If a class project does not fall within the above parameters and qualify for an exemption, the instructor will be notified of the decision. The instructor may then submit an IRB application that will go through the regular review and approval process. Such applications will be reviewed in the order they were received and will not be eligible for the fast track exemption accorded to class projects that fall under this section.

B. Responsibility of Instructors:

Course instructors have primary responsibility for ensuring that the rights and welfare of human subjects are not violated. This responsibility includes communicating to students the ethical principles for the protection of human subjects, reviewing student class project applications, monitoring their activities and consent procedures. All adverse incidents must be reported to the Human Subjects Office within 48 hours.

1. Course instructors are responsible for completing an Instructor Exemption for Class Projects and forwarding it together with the class roll to the Human Subjects Office. Allow at least two weeks for a notice of exemption. The exemption is valid only for the academic semester during which the class project will be conducted.
2. Instructors are responsible for training students in human subjects research ethics and the relevant institutional policies and procedures.
3. Instructors are responsible for prior review of student applications to ensure compliance with the above-stated IRB parameters.
4. Instructors are responsible for reviewing and approving Student Applications for Class Projects and for retaining the paperwork for a period of one academic year.
   These applications are only for the use of the instructors – the IRB does not review them.
5. Instructors must review and approve informed consent procedures. A sample consent form is provided below.
6. Instructors must review and approve instruments, methods, and procedures prior to use by students.
7. Instructors are responsible for ensuring that students obtain authorization for access to other institutions. This is very important.
   

C. Recommended Format for Consent for Class Projects:

NOTE: This consent form is only for use in class projects. This does not meet the minimum necessary federal standards for regular research. Please use the format recommended in Section VIII for research projects.

Dear Participant,

You are invited to participate in a project conducted as part of the requirements for a class in the {Insert appropriate department or school} at the University of Georgia. For this project I will be doing {Insert data collection methods to be utilized. EXAMPLE: some interviews and collecting information} to examine {Insert your research data interest}. The research will be supervised by the course instructor:
__________________________.

The purpose of this research project is to help beginning researchers learn more about {Insert appropriate topic. EXAMPLE: qualitative research methods}. The information generated will not be used for academic research or publication. All information obtained will be treated confidentially.

For this project, you will
{Insert the participant's actions here}

For this project, I will
{Insert researcher's actions here}

You are free to withdraw your participation at any time should you become uncomfortable with it. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me at {Insert phone number}. I hope you will enjoy this opportunity to share your experiences and viewpoints with us. Thank you very much for your help.

Sincerely,

{Insert your name}

{Insert name of Instructor}
Professor, {Insert appropriate department or school}

Please sign both copies, keep one copy and return one to the researcher.

____________________	________	________________	________
Signature of Researcher	Date	Signature of Participant	Date

Printable version of this form