Research conducted solely for pedagogical purposes may be excluded from IRB review, under the following conditions:

• The instructor’s intention is to teach professional research methods such as interviewing, surveying, or experimental design
• The data are gathered solely for the purposes of teaching how to analyze them
• The results will remain in the classroom

These data can be presented at the end of the semester within the confines of the institution, for instance, at the School of Social and Natural Sciences Annual Symposium, or at SURC. However, if the results will be published (including on Digital Commons), presented at a larger conference off-campus, or generalized in some other way, it will be necessary to obtain IRB approval.

If a class project evolves into a research project that the student/instructor wishes to publish or generalize, then the research will need to undergo IRB review. This should occur as soon as it is known that the data will be used for research. If this is not determined until after the research is completed, the investigator should submit a protocol to the IRB requesting permission to use existing data.