Classroom Projects

Class projects with the limited objective of teaching proficiency in performing certain tasks or using specific tools or methods do not require IRB approval.

Instructors and departments should provide guidance about ways to handle topics such as privacy, confidentiality and professional ethics when class projects are part of the course syllabus. IRB chairs and staff can share expertise related to managing risks of deductive disclosure, coercion-free recruiting, informed consent, and special considerations for projects that include potentially vulnerable individuals.

Examples of common scenarios:

CLASS PROJECTS involving secondary data analyses that are assigned and conducted as educational exercises, using data that is either publicly available, de-identified or otherwise impossible to be linked to personal identities.

→ No IRB action required (neither approval nor determination of human research status) because there are no identifiers and no interaction with people.

CLASS PROJECTS involving secondary data analyses that are assigned and conducted as educational exercises, and that use data sets that include private information and codes that link to identifiers, but the students do not have access to the identifiers or the code key.Note – activity must be limited to class project use only.

→ No IRB action required (neither approval nor determination of human research status)
Class instructor and department are responsible for providing the necessary training in respecting the confidentiality of the data.

CLASS PROJECTS or PRACTICA that involve direct interaction (e.g., in person, via mail, email, web surveys, or telephone), but where the purpose is training, an educational exercise or professional development, and is not for research purposes. The project or practicum is not “research” even if students ask people questions as part of learning how to conduct interviews or surveys, take histories, administer assessments, or perform “in-house” evaluations as requested by the practicum site.

→ No IRB action required (neither approval nor determination of human research status), but may be requested if instructor or students are unsure, or if documentation is required by gatekeepers (e.g., schools, businesses) for access to participants.Class instructor and department are responsible for providing the necessary training in respecting the privacy of the individuals and the confidentiality of any resulting information, along with training in the relevant professional ethics.

The Instructor should provide information about the assignment for the students to distribute to people who participate in these class projects. The information should list the instructor as the appropriate contact person should questions arise.

CLASS PROJECTS or PRACTICA that involve direct interaction or an intervention or secondary analyses of private identifiable data and are undertaken as both an educational experience and as research (e.g., results of these activities will be presented publicly or otherwise disseminated, or the data will be stored and used by the students or others as research data).

IRB approval required → When there are several students in a class doing similar projects, a single IRB application may be submitted by the course instructor as PI, listing all students who will be involved. The similarities and differences must be clearly explained on the application and in the protocol. If projects vary greatly, then submit individual IRB applications with the instructor as PI or faculty investigator.The instructor and all student researchers must complete research ethics education and submit certificates of completion along with the IRB application, if certificates are not already on file with the IRB.