Exempt Research
Categories
To qualify for Exempt Review, your must your research protocol must fall into one or more of the following research categories.
1. Research will be conducted in established or commonly accepted educational settings, involving normal educational practices, such as:
(a) research on regular and special education instructional strategies, or
(b) research on the effectiveness or the comparison among instructional techniques, curricula, or classroom management methods.
2. Research will involve the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude, achievement), survey procedures, interview procedures or observation of public behavior, unless the subjects can be identified directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects and disclosure of responses could reasonably place the subjects at risk or criminal or civil liability or be damaging to the subjects’ financial standing, employability or reputation.
3. Research will involve the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude, achievement), survey procedures, interview procedures, or observation of public behavior that is not exempt under item two (2) above, if
(a) the subjects are elected or appointed public officials or candidates for public office; or
(b) Federal statute(s) require(s) that the confidentiality or other personally identifiable information will be maintained throughout the research and thereafter.
4. Research will involve the collection or study of existing data, documents, records, pathological specimens, or diagnostic specimens if these sources are publicly available or if the information is recorded by the investigator in such a manner that subjects cannot be identified directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects.
* 5. Research and demonstration projects which are conducted by or subject to the approval of the federal agency sponsoring the research, and which are designed to study, evaluate or otherwise examine:
(a) public benefit or service programs,
(b) procedures for obtaining benefits or services under those programs,
(c) possible changes in or alternatives to those programs or procedures, or
(d) possible changes in methods or levels of payment for benefits or services under those programs.
6. Taste and food quality evaluation and consumer acceptance studies, if
(a) wholesome foods without additives are consumed, or if
(b) a food is consumed that contains a food ingredient at or below the level and for a use found to be safe, by the Food and Drug Administration or approved by the Environmental Protection Agency or the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
* Exemption under Category 5 requires additional documentation.
