The most significant portion of my time during the Fall 2003 semester was spent gaining approval to conduct the study. This process included a training program for working with human subjects, an approval process through the University of Arizona to conduct the research, an approval process through the school district, a proposal and interview with the principal of the school I worked with, and, finally, I had to gain permission from the teachers. For those interested in conducting a similar study, I will detail the application process.
Since I was working with middle
school students for my research, it was necessary to obtain approval from the
University of Arizona’s Institutional Review Board. To ensure the protection of all research subjects, the Vice President for Research to the Human
Subjects Committee must approve all aspects of the research process. Thus, there is significant paperwork and
training to accomplish before an investigator can have any contact with the
human subjects. First, all
investigators must complete the Human Subjects Training. The university provides a training manual
that gives detailed explanations of the methods and bureaucracy required to
perform research with human subjects, policies and regulations, how to gain and
maintain approval for your research, and other topics. Upon completion of the manual, the
investigator must pass the Human Subjects test with at least an 85%. Once Human Subjects Training is completed,
you move into the Project Approval process.
The next step is to obtain approval from the
Institutional Review Board at the University of Arizona. In the Project Approval process, the
investigator must explicitly state every aspect of the proposed research. This includes all methodology, potential interview questions,
a description of all observations, and precise details such as the number of
subjects and the rationale for their selection. You must also include a copy of your proposed consent form for
the parents
and students and
clearly state how consent is to be obtained and honored throughout the
project. In addition, I had to submit a
recruitment
script for presenting the project to the selected students. The necessary paperwork is then sent through
a preliminary critique, and the proposals are usually sent back repeatedly for
corrections or additions. Every detail
is thoroughly scrutinized. I was
fortunate to only be required to do one extensive revision. When your application is deemed as perfect
as possible, it goes to committee for final approval. I gained approval for my project from the Review Board on
November 4. To view the final
application and detailed methodology, click here.
I also had to undergo an approval process through the school district’s Office of Accountability and Research before I could enter a classroom or approach the principal or teachers. The district requires its own forms, but they are much less severe and detailed than the University’s. To view the approved school district application, click here.
After receiving approval from the University and school district, Professor Horak and I met with the principal at the middle school where we hoped to conduct the research. The principal was very supportive and offered suggestions that might aid us in the problem-solving sessions. After obtaining the principal’s permission, we approached the two teachers. Each teacher has showed great interest in and support for our project, and they were extremely helpful and pleasant to work with for the problem-solving sessions.