All Embry-Riddle faculty, students (graduate and undergraduate), and staff planning to conduct research with human participants must submit an application for review and approval before starting to advertise, recruit or conduct research. Only projects that are considered "research" that “contribute to generalizable knowledge” are required to be reviewed by the IRB.
The regulatory definition of research that must be reviewed by the IRB is:
“Research means a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge. Activities that meet this definition constitute research for purposes of this policy, whether or not they are conducted or supported under a program that is considered research for other purposes. For example, some demonstration and service programs may include research activities. For purposes of this part, the following activities are deemed NOT to be research:
(1) Scholarly and journalistic activities (e.g., oral history, journalism, biography, literary criticism, legal research, and historical scholarship), including the collection of use of information, that focus directly on the specific individuals about whom the information is collected.” (§45 CFR 46.102(l))
If your project does not meet the definition of "Research," then it does not need IRB review regardless of whether or not you plan to present or publish the findings (generalizable knowledge).
The term "generalizable knowledge" can mean publication and/or presentation of the findings.
Case studies are not considered research that must be reviewed by the IRB.
If you are only doing research on one particular course at Embry-Riddle, the findings of which could not be "generalized" to other courses or areas, then IRB review would not be necessary.
Quality Improvement
If the project is to improve a course/program that only affects Embry-Riddle, it may be considered "Quality Improvement"; “The outcomes of which will remain specific to the organization, programs or services…” and you are not "generalizing" the data by publishing outside of Embry-Riddle, no IRB review is needed.
If you are unsure of whether or not your project requires IRB review, take this short survey.
Teri Gabriel
Teri Gabriel joined ERAU in 2006 as the Manager of the Office of Sponsored Programs. She is now the Assistant Director of Research under the direction of the University Dean of Research and Graduate Studies. She is an accomplished grant proposal writer and trainer, formally working with various local governments assisting with environmental and historical preservation projects. She was also the Executive Director for Flagler County’s Habitat for Humanity. She worked with the state’s allocation of housing funds for Flagler County and Habitat for Humanity.
Teri received her Bachelor of Arts (Honors) degree in Psychology in 1995 and her Master of Public Administration degree in 1998 from the University of Central Florida.