The Institutional Review Board (IRB) oversees human subjects research, which in this context is defined as follows:

  • Research is a systematic investigation that aims to produce knowledge that is generalizable beyond the individual research participants.
    • Note that many scholarly activities that are commonly referred to as ‘research’ do not necessarily qualify as research under this definition, which may include and aren’t limited to: oral history, biography, journalism and documentary production, non-invasive classroom exercises and demonstrations, information gathered informally for the purpose of classroom discussion or reflection.
  • Human subjects are present whenever at least one of the following is true:
    • The research involves any form of interaction or intervention with humans,
    • The research involves handling an individual’s private information (i.e. not available through public observation), for example: medical records, academic records, tissue samples, and records of personal thoughts, feelings, and beliefs.

The IRB is charged with ensuring that researchers respect the rights of their human subjects, as well as protect their physical, psychological, and social well-being.  Any time King’s College faculty, students, and staff are planning to conduct research with human participants, submission to the IRB is required prior to beginning any advertising, recruitment, or research procedures.