In my experience, IRBs differ as to whether a separate signed consent form
is needed with questionnaires and surveys. I have served as IRB chair in
the past and it seems obvious to me that filling out a mailed questionnaire
is a voluntary and intentional action that constitutes consent.
Unfortunately, our IRB feel otherwise--preferring to take the most
conservative approach.
A separate issue is whether IRBs should rule narrowly on whether minimal
ethical standards are exceeded, or whether they should "meddle" with the
design, making suggestions for good research, etc. The argument can be
made that if the IRB is charged with evaluating the value of the findings
against the cost to the subjects, then it is OK to meddle (so as to improve
the value of the findings by improving the research design). I personally
prefer the narrow focus, but again our IRB differs with me. This is a
serious issue for our graduate students who find the IRB to be a major
hurdle on our campus.
--Dave Campbell
Marie Helweg-Larsen wrote:
> I am the IRB chair at our small liberal arts college. I have a bunch of
> IRB websites from other colleges and NIH but I can't find the piece of
> information I need.
>
> This is the issue: students in a political science class want to mail
> (names from the phone book) a questionnaire asking about political
> opinions and voting behavior. The only sensitive question is income
> (indicated within $20000 intervals). Our standard procedure is to have
> participants sign and return the informed consent form. It would
> typically be returned in a different envelope from the questionnaire to
> keep the questionnaire anonymous. This procedure is too expensive for
> the students (paying for two return envelopes). Thus the question: can
> the participant consent without a signature? Can you say something like
> "by completing and returning this questionnaire you have consented to
> participate in this study"? A related question: if this procedure is
> ethical, then why ever have people sign informed consent forms for
> simple attitude questionnaires such as this?
> Marie
>
> --
> Marie Helweg-Larsen, Ph.D.
> Program Director & Assistant Professor of Psychology
> Transylvania University
> 300 North Broadway
> Lexington, KY 40508-1797
> Office: (859) 281-3656
> Web page: http://www.transy.edu/homepages/mhelweglarsen/index2.html
--
___________________________________________________________________
David E. Campbell, Ph.D. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Department of Psychology Phone: 707-826-3721
Humboldt State University FAX: 707-826-4993
Arcata, CA 95521 www.humboldt.edu/~campbell/psyc.htm
