Undergraduate's Guide to Creating & Communicating Research

What is the Institutional Review Board (IRB)?

IRB is a committee of faculty who review proposals for human subjects research to ensure that studies are safe, ethical, and in compliance with relevant laws. At SHSU, the IRB is a division of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP).

What research must be approved by the IRB?

Most research involving living humans cannot begin until the IRB approves it. Depending on how high-risk or low-risk the research is, more or less detail may be required, and IRB review may be more in-depth or more expedited.

If our research only involves compiling existing data, or studying inanimate objects (like literature), then IRB approval is not required.

If our research involves living animals, then we will instead need approval from Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

What steps should I complete before I request IRB review?

Before you request IRB review of a research study, you must complete CITI training with scores of 80% or greater in each module. If multiple people will collaborate on a research project, every one of them must complete CITI training. The ORSP Compliance website provides a link to the training and instructions for registering on the CITI site.

You should discuss your project with your faculty advisor before you begin your IRB application. You may also want to consult them along the way if you are not sure of the best way to answer a certain question. Be aware that IRB applications take time to review—this may be faster or slower depending on the complexity of the project and the risks involved, as well as how many other applications are waiting for review—so start your application as early as you can. ORSP provides some additional information about student-led and class projects and things to take into account concerning application timing.

You should have some general notes about your planned project before you begin, but it’s ok if you aren’t ready to complete every part of the application in one sitting. You can begin an IRB application, save it, and come back to it at a future time to add or edit information.

How do I submit my research for IRB review?

IRB review processes are done online in a special software program, Cayuse Human Ethics. To access Cayuse Human Ethics:

1. Start at the SHSU IRB homepage.
2. Click the blue “Submit IRB” button at the top of the page.