Human Subjects Review

General Information | Review Process | FAQ | Related Information | Forms

General Information

In 1996, the College of Education established a College-level system for review of research involving human subjects, replacing the previous departmental review system.

All students, faculty, or staff in the College of Education (COE) who plan to conduct research involving human subjects, students in another College who are conducting research involving human subjects for an Education course, or researchers from another institution who plan to collaborate with U of I students, faculty, or staff in the College of Education must follow the procedures for human subjects review and approval described in this website.

UIUC and College of Education policy on human subjects research states that all research and data collection activities that are conducted at, or sponsored by, the University of Illinois, whether funded or un-funded and whether conducted by UIUC faculty or others, must comply with federal policy for the protection of human subjects. This includes pilot projects; student early research, thesis, or dissertation projects; student non-degree-related projects; faculty projects; independent studies; case studies; research placed in the schools; and course projects that involve human subjects. This policy applies regardless of whether the research will be conducted in the state of Illinois, elsewhere in the United States, in cyberspace, or in any foreign country.

The College of Education's Human Subjects policy also requires that human subjects review requirements must be completed before students can pass their early research requirement, master's or doctoral preliminary oral examination.

Certain types of research must be reviewed by the UIUC Campus Institutional Review Board (IRB) and cannot be submitted for review to any College or departmental human subjects reviewer. These include research that is externally funded (where funding for the project has been obtained from a source outside UIUC), research that involves more than minimal risk (where the risks to subjects from the research are greater than those of everyday life), research involving prisoners, and certain other types of research. Information on Campus IRB review procedures, requirements, and deadlines may be found on the UIUC Campus Institutional Review Board (IRB) website.

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Review Process

For research projects that are not externally funded and do not involve more than minimal risk, human subjects review may be initiated by submitting a completed human subjects form and supporting documentation to the Office of School-University Research Relations and Human Subjects in 38 Education. There is one primary human subjects form called the IRB-1. The IRB-1 is the form that is used for the majority of human subjects research projects. The General Letter for Coursework Project is available for faculty only when they are instructing a course where all students are doing the same small, investigation.

Once submitted, the human subjects form and other documents relevant to the research will be reviewed to determine whether they are complete and clearly respond to the questions outlined in the IRB-1. If not, requests for additional or revised information will be made. Once the forms are complete and in order, and Campus IRB review is not necessary, Human Subjects review will be conducted in the College of Education and the researcher will be notified of their project's approval as soon as possible by letter in campus mail or e-mail. The researcher may not proceed with their research until they have received notice of approval.

If the reviewer determines that review at the Campus IRB is warranted, the researcher will be contacted and the materials will be forwarded to Campus IRB for review.

There may also be an additional Research Placement Form required if the research is conducted in schools, or uses the Educational Psychology subject pool.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What types of research are subject to review?

2. What does the term "exempt" mean in relation to human subjects review?

3. What criteria are used in reviewing human subjects forms?

4. How long does it take to obtain human subjects approval?

5. How will I find out whether my project has been approved?

6. I am planning to do my master's thesis research in an elementary school. Do I have to complete both the IRB-1 form and the Research in Schools form?

7. I just finished my human subjects form. Can I send it to you electronically for review?

What types of research are subject to review? All research and data collection activities conducted by College of Education faculty and students which involve human subjects are subject to review. Completing the Human Subjects Training Module will increase your understanding of the research activities subject to review and how to complete the IRB forms.
What does the term "exempt" mean in relation to human subjects review? The term "exempt" refers to research that may be reviewed through a process called expedited review that does not involve the full human subjects committee. This process is generally faster than a full review. "Exempt" does not mean that human subjects requirements have been waived for a particular research project or that the researcher does not have to complete a human subjects form. Researchers are not permitted to declare that their own research projects or those of their students are exempt; this is a decision that can be made only by the designated human subjects reviewer.
What criteria are used in reviewing human subjects forms? The human subjects form (IRB-1) should provide a brief, but complete description of the proposed research. It should respond adequately to all relevant questions. Handwritten forms are not acceptable and researchers are advised to maintain a back-up copy on their computer or disk to facilitate revisions. Human subjects reviewers are checking primarily for compliance with protection of human subjects protocol along with clarity in the description of proposed research. The reviewer will also provide a quick check for spelling, language or grammatical errors and will contact the researcher with any questions or suggestions to revise the document. Since this document may be seen by others outside of the university it is important that the approved draft is of the highest quality possible. The Campus Institutional Review Board Basic Elements of Informed Consent checklist is a useful tool for considering your proposed project in terms of the general requirements for obtaining informed consent from research subjects Contact Anne Robertson if you have any questions.
How long does it take to obtain human subjects approval? Most forms require revisions and the researcher will be notified, usually by e-mail, within about five days after their human subjects form is submitted. The length of the review process then depends on how quickly the researcher makes the necessary revisions and resubmits the form and other documents .
How will I find out whether my project has been approved? Once your research has received human subjects approval, you and your faculty advisor will both receive a formal approval letter through campus mail. Please contact Anne Robertson with any questions, if you have not received a statement regarding revisions, or an approval letter, within five days after your submission.
I am planning to do my master's thesis research in an elementary school. Do I have to complete both the IRB-1 form and the Research in Schools form? Yes. The IRB-1 form is designed to provide approval for human subjects research. The Research in Schools Form provides summary information that will be helpful for placing your research in the appropriate school. It is also forwarded to the Directors of Research, and classroom teachers, at the district level. Researchers in departments outside the College of Education who wish to do research in the schools must also complete the Research in Schools Form along with their department's human subjects review form or Campus IRB. The researcher then provides a copy of their approved research and the approval letter from their department or Campus IRB.
I just finished my human subjects form. Can I send it to you electronically for review? Yes. This is often a good way to begin the review process However, since the forms must be signed, the final draft is submitted as a hard copy only. Fax copies are also accepted, and can be sent to the following fax number: (217) 244-0538

Related Information and Forms

Human Subjects Training Module | Policy | Instructions | Quiz

Human Subjects Forms

Other Research Forms