Categories of Research That A Peer Review Committee May Review:

The categories of projects that may be reviewed by an Institutional Review Board-approved Peer Review Committee are listed below. Full Truman State University IRB review is required for any project that does not fall within one of these six categories:

A. Research conducted in established educational settings that involves normal educational practices. Examples include: research involving educational strategies; comparisons of the effectiveness of instructional techniques, curricula, or classroom management methods.

B. Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude, achievement), IF information taken from sources is recorded in such a manner that subjects cannot be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects.

C. Research involving survey or interview procedures, EXCEPT when responses are recorded in such a manner that human subjects can be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subject; or the subject’s responses could reasonably place the subject at risk of criminal or civil liability or be damaging to the subjects’ financial standing, employability, or reputation if they became known; or the research deals with sensitive aspects of the subject’s own behavior, such as illegal conduct, drug use, sexual behavior, or use of alcohol.

D. Research involving the observation (including observation by participants) of public behavior EXCEPT when observations are recorded in such a manner that the human subject can be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subject; or the subject’s responses could reasonably place the subject at risk of criminal or civil liability or be damaging to the subjects’ financial standing, employability, or reputation if they became known; or the research deals with sensitive aspects of the subject’s own behavior, such as illegal conduct, drug use, sexual behavior, or use of alcohol.

E. Research involving 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.

F. Taste and food quality evaluation and consumer acceptance studies, IF (1) wholesome foods without additives are consumed, or (2) a food is consumed that contains a food ingredient at or below the level and for a use found to be safe, or (3) a food contains an agricultural chemical or environmental contaminant at or below the level found to be safe by the Food and Drug Administration, or (4) the food is approved by the Environmental Protection Agency or the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the US. Department of Agriculture.

Some examples of projects that can be reviewed by an IRB-approved Peer Review
Committee include:

1. Anonymous, mail or telephone surveys concerning innocuous topics.
2. Anonymous, non-interactive, non-participating observation of public behavior.
3. Secondary analysis of existing data.
4. Educational research involving no interaction with students; e.g., regular classroom
   activity that does not involve minors.
5. Research involving the use of educational records if the information taken from these
   sources is provided to the researcher in such a manner that subjects cannot be identified.
6. Interviews and interactive surveys on non-sensitive topics. (minors or special populations may not be subjects)

Examples of projects that cannot be reviewed by an IRB-approved Peer Review
Committee include:

1. Survey or interview techniques that involve minors as subjects.
2. Research involving the observation of the public behavior of minors.
3. Projects that deceive or mislead the subjects about the purpose or nature or the research.
4. Techniques which expose the subject to discomfort or harassment beyond levels encountered in everyday life.
5. Research involving any special population including prisoners, fetuses, pregnant women or human in-vitro fertilization.
6. The review of medical records if the information is recorded in such a way that subjects can be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects.

IX. Peer Committee Review Results
IRB-approved Peer Review Committees may take one of three actions:

• Approve:
  The peer review committee may approve the project as submitted.
• Defer for Revision:
  The peer review committee may defer a project contingent upon minor modifications. The project may not proceed until final approval from the committee is received.
• Refer to the IRB:
  The peer review committee may refer a project to the IRB for review when:
  1. the project does not meet the criteria for peer review; or
  2. the peer review committee identifies any reason that the project cannot be or should not be reviewed by peer review.

The results of peer review must be filed in a central location within the division so that these results are easily accessible. Peer review committees must file the following items for each research project that is reviewed:

(a) a completed “Application for Review of Investigations Involving Human Subjects”;
(b) the “Peer Review Form” which indicates whether the project was approved or referred to the IRB;
(c) the research proposal, if applicable, and
(d) any supporting information that may have been submitted or collected.