SoTL and IRB

We frequently receive inquiries about the IRB process and thought this week we would share Linder, Elek, and Calderon’s (2014) article, SoTL and the Institutional Review Board: Considerations before Navigating the Application Process for Classroom Research in Higher Education. The authors of this paper are a faculty developer and a current and former research compliance coordinator; each present a unique vantage point to discuss the foundational components of IRB protocols for SoTL.

The paper explores the history of IRB in the context of SoTL research and explains the federal definitions of “Research” and “Human Subjects.” Additionally, the authors convey the differences between the three types of IRB review and integrate some sample SoTL projects with respect to their IRB implications. They established the following recommendations for faculty members considering SoTL projects:

1) Develop a relationship with the IRB professional(s) at your institution so that you know who to contact for questions about the IRB application, protocol, and review process; 2) With the help of the IRB professional(s) at your institution, determine if your classroom investigation constitutes research of human subjects according to the federal regulations used by the IRB; 3) Based on several factors (including risk to participants and vulnerability of study population, among others), and with the help of an IRB professional at your institution, determine the type of review appropriate for your study.

Linder, K. E., Elek, E. D., & Calderon, L. (2014). SoTL and the Institutional Review Board: Considerations before Navigating the Application Process for Classroom Research in Higher Education. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 14(2), 1-14.