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| graduate student resources: human subjects, the IRB, and ethical practice |
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| human subjects review and the IRB process All research on human subjects -- including ethnograpic research -- is required to go through the university's Institutional Review Board (IRB). The main page for the University of Minnesota IRB is: http://www.research.umn.edu/irb/ The process can be somewhat daunting, but IRB staff are helpful in figuring out which forms to complete. For the purposes of the IRB, you will also have to complete an online training course, and get certification of your successful completion. The course is available at: http://www.research.umn.edu/first/humansubjects.htm IRBs have primarily evolved around medical and other potentially risky research on human subjects. Ethnographic research usually involves no more than minimal risk to subjects, which often means ethnographic projects can be given expedited review. For a good analysis of ethnography and the IRB, see the American Anthropological Association Statement on Ethnography and Institutional Review Boards. This document will also assist you in developing language for your own IRB application. ethical practice The goal of IRB review is to ensure that the subjects of your research are not harmed, that their confidentiality is protected, and that they have given informed consent to participate in your project. These are crucial issues in thinking about ethical practice as an anthropologist, but they do not cover the full range of ethical issues an anthropologist may face in doing ethnographic research. As such, I also recommend reading the AAA's Code of Ethics. |