Academic Affairs
Research Activities Eligible for Exempt or Informational Review
- Exemption for education. Research conducted in established or commonly accepted educational settings, involving normal educational practices, such as (i) research on regular and special education instructional strategies, or (ii) research on the effectiveness of or the comparison among instructional techniques, curricula, or classroom management methods is exempted. (Individuals under the age of 18 constitute a protected class. Consequently, many projects involving minors will require full board review. However, some of these exemptions are applicable to research with minors, including this one.)
- Exemption for research involving educational tests. Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude, achievement) is exempted, unless (i) information obtained is recorded in such a manner that human subjects can be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects; and (ii) any disclosure of the subjects' responses outside the research could reasonably place the subjects at risk of criminal or civil liability or be damaging to the subjects' financial standing, employability, or reputation. (This exemption applies to research using minors.)
- Exemption for survey or interview procedures. Research involving survey or interview procedures is exempted unless (i) information obtained is recorded in such a manner that human subjects can be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects; and (ii) any disclosure of the subjects' responses outside the research could reasonably place the subjects at risk of criminal or civil liability or be damaging to the subjects' financial standing, employability, or reputation. (This exemption does not apply to research using minors.)
- Exemption for research involving observation of public behavior. Research involving observation is exempted unless (i) information obtained is recorded in such a manner that human subjects can be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects; and (ii) any disclosure of the subjects' responses outside the research could reasonably place the subjects at risk of criminal or civil liability or be damaging to the subjects' financial standing, employability, or reputation. (This exemption applies to research with minors only when the investigator(s) does not participate in the activities observed.
- Exemption for research involving elected or appointed public officials or candidates for public office. Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude, achievement), survey procedures, interview procedures, or observation of public behavior that is not exempted under exemption #2, #3, and #4 above is exempted if: (i) the human subjects are elected or appointed public officials or candidates for public office; or (ii) federal statute(s) require(s) without exception that the confidentiality of the personally identifiable information will be maintained throughout the research and thereafter.
- Exemption for collection or study of existing data. Research involving the collection or study of existing data, documents, records, pathological specimens, or diagnostic specimens is exempted, 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.
- Exemption for research and demonstration projects conducted by or subject to approval of federal departments or agencies. Research and demonstration projects which are conducted by or subject to the approval of department or agency heads are exempted if they are designed to study, evaluate, or otherwise examine: (i) public benefit or service programs; (ii) procedures for obtaining benefits or services under those programs, (iii) possible changes in or alternatives to those programs or procedures; or (iv) possible changes in methods or levels of payment for benefits or services under those programs.
- Exemption for taste and food quality evaluation and consumer acceptance studies. Taste and food quality evaluation and consumer acceptance studies are exempted if, (i) wholesome foods without additives are consumed; or (ii) a food is consumed that contains a food ingredient at or below the level and for a use found to be safe, or agricultural chemical or environmental containment at or below the level found to be safe, by the Food and Drug Administration or approved by the Environmental Protection Agency or the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
