Internal Institutional Data Collections and IRB

Internal institutional data collections are typically not considered research1 and, therefore, review by the Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects (IRB) is not required. Internal data collections are most often used to change/improve a campus service. Examples include:

  • Surveys of dining preferences
  • Evaluations of student satisfaction for accreditation reports
  • Exit surveys for graduates or employees
  • Surveys to determine residence hall programming needs

If an internal institutional data collection follows the examples and purpose stated above (i.e., to change/improve a campus service), IRB review is not required. If you have any questions on whether a proposed internal institutional data collection requires IRB review, please contact the IRB Office.

Footnotes

  1. Research is defined as: “a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.” [45 CFR 46.102(d)] Generalizable knowledge is information which has the potential to be expanded from the isolated circumstances in which it is acquired to any broader context. ↩︎