Is the IRB Process Required
All projects or research conducted by faculty or staff that may be presented, published, or otherwise disseminated outside the department must go through the IRB process. If in doubt, contact the IRB via email at: IRB@usuniversity.edu for guidance.
The determination as to whether you are conducting research or research with human subjects lies exclusively with the IRB. Faculty and staff working in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences with experience conducting quality improvement (QI) projects where IRB approval is not standard because the activity is not research may question the need for the IRB to review their project proposal.
Similarly, faculty and staff in the Colleges of Education or Business and Technology conducting archival data analyses on de-identified data may question the need for IRB review because, while research, neither would be considered research with human subjects.
Regardless of your project or study details, you will complete an IRB Review Form (and supplemental material) and submit to USU's IRB, as an IRB is the final authority on whether oversight is required. Please wait for official instructions to proceed before implementing your project or study. Remember, most journals require proof of IRB approval when manuscripts are submitted for publication. Even if your project does not meet the definition of human research, many journals now require certification by the IRB that IRB review was not required so it is clear it was not only the investigator deciding their research did not need review.