| Abstract: | This article provides a federal context for institutional review of research protocols involving human participants. Most research conducted by social scientists is appropriate for expedited review or exempt status, yet many university institutional review boards (IRBs) unnecessarily require research protocols to be reviewed by the full IRB, therefore impeding the progress of research projects. This article describes the nature of the IRB process; explains minimal risk; contrasts full, expedited, and exempt review of research; and provides guidance on placing your research in the context of IRB review. Finally, this article calls for our discipline to integrate the ethical issues of human participants in research into courses on research design and therefore make this knowledge part of our geography culture. |
