Human Subjects Review Board
What is a Human Subjects Review Board?
The Human Subjects Review Board is a committee which is designed to regulate care of participants in experimental research. In particular, the job of the HSRB is to establish and enforce ethical guidelines which protect participants from harm, and respect their personal dignity. The HSRB also takes great care in protecting the rights of those individuals who have limited understanding of the risks of their participation or who have diminished decision making abilities.
Why was a HSRB established at Northwest University?
The concept of a Human Subjects or Internal Review Board stems from The Nuremberg Code which was used to judge the human experimentation conducted during the Nazi regime. Current federal policy stipulates both the necessity of the review process as well as the composition of the review board. Any institution which uses humans as research subjects must have such a board.
What type of projects are subject to review by the HSRB?
All potential research projects (including projects conducted by students as part of a class assignment) which involve the use of human participants need to be reviewed by this board prior to their implementation, unless they meet the criteria for exemption listed below:
- The experiment is held in an educational setting and includes examining practical educational practices, such as research on instructional preferences, or classroom management.
- Research is made up of either educational testing or observations of people, as long as the identity of the individuals is kept anonymous.
- The individuals involved know they are either being observed in a public setting or are taking an educational exam.
- The experiment consists of using only previously collected documents, records, or other data available to the public.
How do I submit a project for review?
Human subjects review applications will be available on the Provost’s Website. Two types of applications exist. The abbreviated review application is a short form specifically created for the review of class projects. To be eligible for this expedited review projects must not involve deception, potentially embarrassing or harmful situations, special populations (such as minors), or medical procedures. For all other projects, please use the regular review form. If you have a group of class projects which will need to be reviewed please coordinate ahead of time with the committee so as to minimize the time necessary for review. All completed projects and/or questions should be sent to Sarah Drivdahl.