The Institutional Review Board: A College Planning Guide

The American Psychological Association Committee on Associate and Baccalaureate Education (CABE) recognizes the need for Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) to review research that has been proposed at all academic institutions if (a) research with human participants is being conducted and (b) the institution receives federal or state money, such as research grants. Institutions can choose to establish their own IRB, use a commercial IRB or use the IRB of a cooperating agency.

Protection of human participants is of the utmost importance for practical and ethical reasons. CABE created this document to help faculty and administrators at community colleges and at other colleges without an IRB who choose to establish one. Much of what is discussed in this document can be found on the website of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Human Research Protectionsopens in new window (OHRP). We have attempted to summarize the basic DHHS policy for the protection of human research participants as specified in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 45, Part 46, Subpart A (also known as the Common Rule, 45 CFR 46). We have also included information based on faculty members’ experiences in establishing IRBs at other colleges in an attempt to provide the reader with some best practices, advice and tips that may help make the process of starting an IRB as smooth as possible.

As community colleges and other undergraduate institutions establish IRBs, many of the decision makers at those institutions are turning to psychology faculty members to offer guidance on the process. Many working in the field of psychology are aware of negative reports concerning IRBs in journals and on electronic Listservs over the years. In those reports, complaints have been lodged about the restrictiveness of IRBs (Salzinger, 2006), infringement of academic freedom (Hamburger, 2007), the ever-increasing reach of these boards (Gunsalus et al., 2006), and the lack of evidence to show that the entire IRB process has actually improved the safety of the research enterprise (Mueller & Furedy, 2001a, 2001b). Many reports show that IRBs can hinder research productivity. These reports may lead some who are considering starting an IRB at their own institution to believe that the task is too great or too difficult or that having an IRB will make conducting research not worth the effort. The truth is that the task of starting, and using, an IRB may not be as onerous as it appears, and IRBs do not have to be an obstacle to research (O’Brien, 2006).

It is important to note that the creation of an IRB does not address all of researchers’ ethical issues. Researchers must be professional and adhere to the ethical codes of conduct that govern scientific research in general (i.e., the principles set forth in the Belmont Reportopens in new window) and their specific disciplines. For example, the American Psychological Association has an ethical code of conduct that includes standards for research with human participants (APA, 2010; https://www.apa.org/ethics). This ethical code governs research conducted by people in the field of psychology, whether or not an IRB exists at their institution. The fact that an institution did not previously have an IRB does not mean that researchers at that institution have been unethical; it means that the institution has not formally documented whether the research adheres to all regulatory requirements found in 45 CFR 46. Having an IRB allows an institution to formally document that the institution is following the generally accepted method of assuring that human research participants are protected.

The opportunity for undergraduate students to conduct research is a high-impact educational practice that is correlated with student success. In addition, instructors will find there is pedagogical value in having an IRB on campus. Having an IRB provides faculty with in-house experts who can talk to students about IRBs in their classes, describe the necessary training to serve as an IRB member, and demonstrate how and when to complete an IRB’s official forms. Students may also gain by hearing the views of those who advocate for and/ or oppose the IRB process and by learning more about the history of and rationale for IRBs, as well as empirical data on IRBs.

Having a properly composed IRB also makes research eligible for federal grants. All research (i.e., behavioral, social, educational or otherwise) that uses human participants requires a review by a properly composed IRB to be eligible for federal grant monies. By starting your own IRB, you have the potential to open up more possibilities for research projects, giving faculty more opportunities for professional development and collaboration with faculty at other institutions.