IRB SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Research Plan Summary

1. Research question (the purpose of the study)

   • This is what you want to look at, not what you expect to find. 

   • Example: “The purpose of this study is to determine whether high school students completing an online nutrition module improve their eating habits, and if so, the degree to which those improvements are sustained over time.”

2. Human subjects

   • Who are your human subjects?

   • What is your relationship to them?

   • Where will your research take place (site)?

3. Methodology section with descriptions that address human subject protections  

1. • • How will you collect and record the information on your human subjects?

     • Who will administer this research study/survey?

     • Where will the information be stored?  (See Data Security Policy Recommendations)

     • How will you store the data, and who will have access? (See Data Security Policy Recommendations)

     • How long will the data be retained before being destroyed?

     • Will you be collecting personally identifiable data?

     • If you are doing an online survey, will you be using something that collects IP addresses? (See Anonymity in Survey Monkey Recommendations)

2.  Recruitment plan (if needed for surveys or interviews)

   • Any recruitment materials

3. Agency approval

   • Appropriate permission in writing

     • On letterhead and signed by an official

     • From an agency email address, not a personal Gmail account

     • If done through a site such as Facebook groups, you need to reference the site's Terms of Use

       • Example: Facebook’s terms of service can be located at: http://www.facebook.com/legal/terms

     • Examples: Dean’s approval to use faculty or students in his/her school in your research; website approval to post for recruitment (can be a standard template from the website); outside agency’s approval to use their site/personnel/data

4. Informed consent document (if needed for surveys or interviews, see Informed Consent Template)

5. Assent form or script (if needed for including children in your research, see Assent Form Sample)

6. Certificate of IRB Training (See Training Information)

• Use your Purdue Global email address.

• Ensure that the required items above are attached to your submission.  Any items that are missing will delay the review of your submission.

• Once submitted, the request will first go to your thesis advisor, consultant/instructor, or supervisor for approval.