Our thanks to Twitter stranger Gabriel Hernandez, from whom we shamelessly borrowed the following gem about clear writing: Me, by text: I can’t, sri. Me, by email: I’m sorry, but I unfortunately cannot be present. Me, when writing an academic paper or research protocol: I am henceforth unwillingly prevented from being able to be there. […]
Two blog quizzes now available for CRS credit
The learnondemand.org website now has not one, but TWO IRB Blog quizzes available. Each is worth 0.5 hours of elective education credit toward the earning or renewal of your Certified Research Specialist credential. To access the quizzes, go to learnondemand.org and type “IRB” into the search box at upper right.
Please write notes, comments, contingencies, discussion topics in CLARA
As a reminder to our reviewers, please remember to note any comments, contingencies, notes, or topics for discussion in CLARA before the meeting, keeping in mind the chair has asked for reviews to be completed by noon Monday. Having everything documented in CLARA provides a record for the IRB of topics discussed, makes everything visible to everyone […]
How to get fewer contingencies from the IRB reviewers and office
Well, we can’t promise to make contingencies go away altogether, but you know what they say – Happy IRB office staffers/reviewers write fewer contingencies. Here are a few tips to keep the IRB happier and contingencies at bay: –When you’re notifying the IRB of a temporary study closure of any kind, e.g. closure to enrollment […]
A proposal regarding research in a prison population
Research involving prisoners entails several extra layers of regulatory oversight, due to prisoners’ status as a vulnerable population. Those regulatory restrictions stem from historical concerns about inmates’ abilities to make truly voluntary decisions about whether to join a study, and fears over exploitation of a readily available population. One group of would-be researchers suggests the prison […]
New FDA/OHRP joint guidance on written procedures for IRBs
In their continuing and, um, not super expeditious campaign to harmonize regulations between their agencies, the Office for Human Research Protections and the Food and Drug Administration have issued a joint guidance about written procedures for IRBs. We encourage you to take a look at them to get an idea of the breadth of the […]
D.I.Y. Gene Editing — is this for real?
Apparently, making and re-engineering DNA in the privacy of your very own lab, which may well be in your garage at home, is becoming a thing, according to a recent New York Times piece. The implications of such unmonitored tinkering are potentially huge. The story includes mention of a recent journal article describing the recreation […]
“Emergency contacts” and research — Research Ethical Worry Number 2,359
Remember that recent news story about investigators using publicly available family tree information to identify a criminal suspect? Well, family relationships are also of interest to researchers. A recent New York Times story discussed a trend of using the emergency contact information patients give their healthcare providers to conduct research. As the story puts it, […]
A cautionary tale about research irregularities
Sometimes we think these regulations and requirements are all just too much. And then we read something like this, and think to ourselves, “Thank goodness we take steps to minimize the chance that this happens here!” (With the tiniest hint of “There but for the grace of the research gods go we” mixed in.) In […]
When should I have my study documents translated during the new submission process?
Investigators studying non-English speaking populations usually plan ahead and get any documents subjects will see translated before the study begins. The IRB sometimes receive new submissions with study documents already submitted in both English and the language of interest. While the IRB will eventually need to see both versions, it may save you some time/hassle […]