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OVERVIEW
To
encourage responsible research by students and faculty,
the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work
has adopted a policy concerning the treatment of human participants
in research. The policy and procedures apply only to research
that entails the active engagement, direct involvement,
and/or individual identification of persons as research
participants. They apply, therefore, to most interview,
survey, experimental, and participant observation studies,
but not to historical studies, secondary analyses of existing
data that do not involve confidential materials, nor to
most forms of passive or unobtrusive observation in which
the investigator observes an ongoing social scene but does
not directly participate or intervene in it. Consult with
your instructor or thesis advisor if you have questions
about whether your proposed research is covered by the department's
human participants policy and guidelines.
Proposals
are submitted to the department's Institutional Review Officer,
appointed by the chair of the department. The Institutional
Review Officer is the department's liaison to the College's
Institutional Review Board. In the case of research in which
the departmental liaison is involved, proposals are submitted
to the chair. Proposals may be expedited within the department,
or submitted to Skidmore's Institutional Review Board for
full review if the research might put subjects at risk,
involves intervention or deception, interviews or surveys
on sensitive topics, or special populations (such as minors
or prisoners). Faculty assigning a specific research exercise
may submit one proposal to cover the activities of their
students.
POLICY
It
is the policy of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology,
and Social Work to protect the rights and welfare of the
participants of research conducted as part of the courses,
independent studies, thesis projects, faculty research,
and other academic activities that we sponsor. The department
prohibits research that poses a demonstrable danger to the
safety and security of research participants. The department
also prohibits research that does not adequately protect
the anonymity of participants, the confidentiality of information
obtained from them, or their right to refuse to participate.
The
department strongly discourages the use of designs and procedures
that entail substantial deception of participants with regard
to the nature and purposes of the research project. In all
cases where deception is employed, the researcher(s) must
show that deception is essential for assuring the validity
of the research and does not pose a significant risk to
participants.
QUESTIONS
AND INQUIRES
Direct
any questions or inquiries concerning human participants
in department-related social research to Professor Jacqueline
Azzarto, the department's Institutional Review Officer.
Dr. Azzarto's office is 224 Tisch Learning Center; her phone
number is 518/580-5414; and her e-mail address is jazzarto.
PROCEDURES
On-line:
Click here for a Human
Participants form to complete and submit online.
Off-line:
Answer the following questions as they pertain to your proposed
research:
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Name, address, and telephone number of principal researcher(s).
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Project title and brief description of research problem
- Location
of study.
- Dates
of data collection phase of research:
From:
To:
Use a separate a sheet for questions 5-10:
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Describe procedures related to subject participation, including
details concerning:
a. Who your participants are (e.g., students, Saratoga Springs
residents, etc.)?
b. How many participants will be involved and how they will
be recruited?
c. What the participants will do or what will be done to
them?
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Will your research involve any deception? If so, explain
how participants will be deceived and why.
- How
will you obtain participants' informed consent?
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Do you see any chance that participants will be harmed in
any way? How will you minimize risks to participants?
- Describe
procedures you will use to debrief your participants. Please
attach a copy of what will be said (or presented) to the
subjects.
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How will you insure the anonymity of your participants and/or
the confidentiality of the information collected?
NOTE:
Your instructor/advisor will notify the department chair of
your project in order to keep the Department informed about
ongoing research.
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