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Human Subjects in Research

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Any research that involves human subjects, whether funded or not, that is undertaken by a WIU faculty, academic staff or student or supported by Western Illinois University, must be reviewed by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Approval must be granted by the IRB prior to collecting data from any human subjects for research purposes or soliciting subjects for a research study.  For detailed information on human subjects research, please see the Policy and Procedure for Human Subjects manual.

It is the policy of Western Illinois University that all individuals engaged in research involving human participants must complete an educational program related to the responsible conduct of research prior to initiation of a research project. For detailed information on research training, please see Procedures for Submitting Protocols.

The WIU IRB approves human subject research at the following three review levels:

    1.) Exempt Review - To qualify, research must fall into one of six federally-defined exempt categories. These categories present the lowest amount of risk to potential subjects because they involve either collection of anonymous or publicly-available data, or conduct of the least potentially-harmful research experiments.

    2.) Expedited Review - To qualify for an expedited review, research must fall into one of nine federally-defined expedited categories. These categories involve collection of samples and data in a manner that is not anonymous and that involves no more than minimal risk to subjects. Research projects that qualify for expedited review must include participant informed consent.

    3.) Full Review - A project that involves greater than minimal risk requires approval by the Institutional Review Board Committee. Research that requires full committee review can include: non-exempt research that involves children or other vulnerabel populations, research that involves experimental drugs or devices, research that involves invasive procedures, or survey research that involves sensitive questions or information about sexual practice or illegal behavior.

For research continuation on a protocol that has already been submitted and approved by the IRB, please complete the WIU IRB Review and Monitoring Form.

For more information about Western Illinois University’s Institutional Review Board, please navigate to the following web page: http://www.wiu.edu/sponsoredprojects/research_policies/rp_irb.html

Related documents:

 

If you have any questions, please contact the IRB Administrator, Angela Tee, via the phone number and address listed below or e-mail either AJ-Tee@wiu.edu or IRB-Administrator@wiu.edu.