On Tue, 13 Jun 2000, Jeff Bartel wrote:
> I think this is where I get confused. If your function/intent is
> instructional, but you collect the *exact same information* as someone who
> has a function/intent of publishing the data, where is the difference as
> far as the student/participant is concerned? They all receive the same
> "treatment," but in one case, they sign informed consent, etc., and the
> situation is treated very differently all around.
There is no difference as far as the student/participant is concerned, and
I don't think there should be one as far as the instructor is concerned.
However, if the research is for publication, it comes under the authority
of the IRB committee and must adhere to those rules.
>
> A logical (?) extension of this: If an instructor wants to publish the
> data, can a student--per his or her rights as a participant in any other
> research study--opt out of the class assignment?
Yes, but the student might lose the class credit for it. The student can
participate, earn the credit, but prohibit their responses from being used
for publication. I once actually faced this situation - I was using a
questionnarie as part of a class activity, but I also wanted the data. I
explained this to the class and students indicated on a blank page stapled
to the questionnarie whether I could use their reponses. Upon collection,
I separated those responses I could use from those I couldn't and
discarded the latter (almost no one actually used this option). And yes,
the entire thing was approved by the IRB (although it took most of a
semester to get it approved). I'm not certain how I could have done this
if the assignment needed to be graded, however, and still preserve
privacy. Using your own class students as research participants is a very
difficult situation, and probably should be.
Vinny
Vincent Prohaska
Associate Professor and Chair
Department of Psychology
Lehman College
Bronx, NY 10468-1589
718-960-8776
718-960-8092 fax
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
