About the Northwood IRB
Northwood University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) ensures the protection of human subjects involved in any research taking place at the university. The IRB performs regular, consistent, and systematic reviews in accordance with the university’s policies and procedures. All reviews follow written procedures to ensure quality and rigor.
IRB Membership
Members
Chelsea Butcher, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Northwood University
Kevin Mccormack, DBA
Associate Professor, Northwood University
Mike Ennis, Ph.D. (External)
Professor of Education, Ferris State University
Does your research project need to be reviewed and approved by the Northwood IRB?
The proposed research project is:
- An operational activity of the organization (customer service, teaching evaluation, auditing, etc.)
- Journalism or political polling.
- Oral history, biographies, or medical case history that is not generalizable beyond the individual.
- Classroom or training activities where the objective is to teach a student proficiency on a topic.
- Quality Improvement/assurance programs initiated by an institution to compare against standards or benchmarks or to measure a program and if the information will only be distributed to those involved in planning and implementation.
Result: Research does not involve human subjects and therefore, no IRB submission or approval is required.
OR
The proposed research project is:
- Systemic investigation intended to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.
- Systemic investigation means research carried out using a step-by-step procedure or method organized according to a set of interrelated ideas/principles.
- Generalizable knowledge may include:
- Benefits extending beyond immediate population-to-society, other researchers, scholar or practitioners.
- Drawing conclusions, testing or generating hypotheses.
- Publication or presentation to inform the field of study.
- Contributes to a theoretical framework or body of knowledge.
- Testing a new device, product, drug, or biologic materials.
Research does not involve human subjects, and therefore, no IRB submission or approval is required.
Yes – This project should be reviewed by the IRB.
Institutional Review Board FAQ
IRB stands for Institutional Review Board. It is a committee of colleagues who review research at our institution. The IRB is part of the Office of Institutional Research. Pretty much every institution where doctoral work is conducted needs an IRB. IRBs also need to be registered with the Office of Human Research Protection within the US Department of Health and Human Services.
- Chelsea Butcher, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Northwood University - Kevin Mccormack, DBA
Associate Professor, Northwood University - Mike Ennis, Ph.D. (External)
Professor of Education, Ferris State University
The IRB ensures the protection of human subjects involved in any research taking place at the university. The IRB performs regular reviews in accordance with the university’s policies and procedures and meets as needed to review submissions. Currently, there are not many going through, but our DBAs are ramping up, plus our faculty members are producing more and more great work, so the volume is expected to increase.
A study requires IRB review if it involves both of the following:
- Research: as defined as “systematic investigation, testing, and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.”
- Human Subjects: as defined as “an individual about whom an investigator (whether professional or student) conducting research obtains:
- data through intervention or interaction with the individual, or
- identifiable private information.
This is an institution-by-institution decision. Since we are ramping up, we prefer to be overly cautious in reviewing research. Class research assignments conducted by students involving interactions with humans should be reviewed by the IRB.
There are three levels of IRB review: Exempt, Expedited, and Full Board Review. All require submission of the same documentation.
- Exempt review is used for research with low or no risk. These will likely include many student projects that use anonymous surveys, public observations, and public data.
- Expedited is the next level up. Apparently, it does not mean faster or easier. These studies tend to involve minimal risk. Minimal risk is defined as “risk that is not greater than what one encounters in ordinary daily life.” This is where personal information is collected via interviews, surveys, focus groups, etc. It is likely recorded and stored in software for analysis. It requires some closer scrutiny to ensure protection.
- Full Review is the final level. This is necessary when the research involves more than minimal risk or includes protected populations. These include children, prisoners, or disabled individuals. Additional examples of likely full board reviews include projects that plan to use procedures that are personally stressful or traumatic or ones that involve the intentional deception of subjects.
You will need to submit some paperwork for sure. There is a larger submission form that we can send, but you will also need to include other items, such as:
- Instructions to survey participants
- Original scales or questionnaires
- Permission to use other instruments
- Interview protocols/guides
- Informed consent forms
- Cover letters sent to appropriate stakeholders
- Official letters of permission to conduct research
We meet as needed right now, so the answer is very quickly. However, if volume increases, we might need to implement a week or two turnaround time, especially if full review or certain types of expedited review are needed.