[Air-L] IRBs for the independent scholar

[danah boyd]

Many American grant-giving agencies require an ethics review (IRB) as a part of those proposals, regardless of whether you're independent or not. (You usually need a receiving org to take the money so it's that org that's responsible.)   In other cases, going through a formal ethics review can be a good reality check because a good IRB will see things you can't. 

For some of my more ethically fraught projects, my collaborators and I have used Chesapeake IRB: http://chesapeakeirb.com/ This process is ten bazillion times more sane than university IRBs.  Their IRB meets every weekday and the turnaround for a proposal is a week. They don't flip out when the word "children" is invoked and they work diligently to figure out how to develop a healthy ethical procedure even in seriously high risk situations.  (Keep in mind that I interview abused minors who've been commercially sexually violated.)  I've never done this process alone and it's usually my collaborators who manage the IRB procedures so I don't have a full grasp of the procedures, but I've been sooooo grateful for how easy and rigorous it has been.  (And also keep in mind that it took me over 2 years to get through university IRB for my dissertation fieldwork so I'm a bit bitter about IRBs to say the least.)

danah


On Jun 3, 2013, at 12:05 PM, Smith, Catherine wrote:

> Check the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s current guidance for submissions to Science, Technology, and Society (STS)  programs in the Social and Economic Sciences (SES) divisions.  http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5324
> 
> Previously, independent scholars were eligible to submit and, presumably, instructed on IRB requirements for submission.
> 
> Google for other scholarly institute and foundation guidelines re 'independent scholars.'
> 
> Catherine Smith
> 
> ________________________________________
> From: air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org [air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org] on behalf of Mark D. Johns [mjohns at luther.edu]
> Sent: Monday, June 03, 2013 9:57 AM
> To: Tilton, Shane
> Cc: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
> Subject: Re: [Air-L] IRBs for the independent scholar
> 
> The law on IRB is in regard to institutions receiving federal funds, not on
> individual researchers. So, while I'm all about ethics and would encourage
> some consultation among peers about that, there is no legal mandate. There
> may be issues with some journals that will not publish without an IRB
> approval -- I'm shooting from the hip on that one, so you'd want to
> research it more.
> 
> --
> Mark D. Johns, Ph.D.
> Associate Professor, Communication Studies
> Luther College, Decorah, Iowa USA
> -----------------------------------------------
> "Get the facts first. You can distort them later."
>    ---Mark Twain
> 
> 
> On Mon, Jun 3, 2013 at 8:46 AM, Tilton, Shane <tiltons at ohio.edu> wrote:
> 
>> Has anybody conducted research while not attached to a college or a
>> university (either as a student or faculty member)?
>> 
>> The question I have is "is there an IRB process for those outside of the
>> traditional academy?"
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