Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Ohio Wesleyan University is responsible for ensuring that research activities conducted under its auspices do not violate the rights and welfare of human subjects. These protections are derived from the ethical principles articulated in the Belmont Report (National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research). The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is the body charged with ensuring the protection of human subjects in all research conducted by an employee or student of the University and in all research conducted at the University. The University Policy on Human Subject Research (HSR) is designed to conform with the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects (45 CFR 46).

Any activity that is research and involves human subjects according to this policy is considered human subject research and is subject to IRB review. Activities that are not human subject research according to this policy are not subject to IRB review unless specified in another University policy (see the University policy on course projects involving human subjects).

• Human subject or participant means a living individual about whom an investigator (whether professional or student) conducting research: 1) Obtains information or biospecimens through intervention or interaction with the individual, and uses, studies, or analyzes the information or biospecimens; or 2) Obtains, uses, studies, analyzes, or generates identifiable private information or identifiable biospecimens (45 CFR §46.102(e)(1)).
• Research is a systematic investigation, including research development, testing, and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge (45 CFR §46.102(l)), e.g., the results might be used to inform public policy, evaluate a theory, or draw conclusions about other people or settings.