IRB: Procedures and Guidance
The NC State University IRB maintains a wealth of documentation and other resources to assist researchers throughout the IRB lifecycle. Here, you'll find all of our guidance documents on study design, data collection methods and modes, and other considerations.
IRB Guidance
This section provides guidance on study design, methods and modes of data collection, and IRB considerations.
The NC State University IRB provides guidance for the most commonly asked questions, employed methods, and how to navigate the varying laws, regulations, and policies. Many of these guidance documents include or link to required forms, policies, and templates.
Does My Project Need IRB Review?
- Is it Research?
- Is it Human Subjects Research?
- Assessment/Eval/QA/QI and Research
- Class Projects That Are Not Regulated Research
- Pilot Studies and Feasibility Work IRB Unit Standard
- Citizen Science
- When Oral History Becomes Research with Human Subjects
- Water, Soil, and Farmed Food Sampling
- Guidance for the College of Veterinary Medicine
Expectations for Researchers
Guidance for Specific NC State University Units
- Biomedical Engineering – Joint Department with UNC-Chapel Hill
- Consumer Food Preference, Taste, and Quality in Human Subjects Research
- Data from the Community Counseling, Education, and Research Center
- The Friday Institute and the IRB
- Guidance for the College of Veterinary Medicine
Federally Funded Projects
Participant Selection
- Researchers Enrolling in Their Own Research Guidance
- Targeting NC State University Students as Research Participants Guidance
- Inclusion of Minors Attending Post-Secondary Institutions in Research Unit Standard
- Research Involving Minors Unit Standard
- Research with Immigrants, Migrants, and Displaced Populations
- Research with Pregnant People and Neonates Unit Standard
- Research with Those Who Are Incarcerated Unit Standard
- Citizen Science Guidance
- Research Match Procedures and Guidance
Benign Behavioral Interventions, Deception, and AR/VR
- Use of Artificial Intelligence in Human Subjects Research
- Benign Behavioral Interventions Guidance
- Use of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) Guidance
- Research Involving Deception Guidance
- Use of Applications and Software for Research with Human Subjects
- Use of Social Media in Human Subjects Research
- Images and Recordings in Research with Human Subjects
Research Using the Human Body
- Blood Draws
- Consumer Food Preference, Taste, and Quality in Human Subjects Research
- Genetics and Genomics – Genomics research usually generates identifiable information about an individual and those biologically related to them, within the same group in a region as them, or both. Genomics research can uncover information about a participant that directly affects their or their family’s future. This information might be unsuspected and, therefore, has both potentially wonderful and potentially harmful consequences to the individual or their relatives. Please note that the NIH genomic data sharing policy only applies to NIH-funded research that generates large-scale human or non-human genomic data and uses these data for subsequent research.
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Unit Standard
- Images and Recordings in Research with Human Subjects
- Medical Devices Unit Standard
- Phased and Staged Research Guidance
- Use of Applications and Software for Research with Human Subjects
- Use of Artificial Intelligence in Human Subjects Research
Secondary Data Collection
- Secondary Data and the IRB Guidance
- Use of Artificial Intelligence in Human Subjects Research
- Accessing FERPA Records for Research Purposes Guidance
- Use of Applications and Software for Research with Human Subjects
- Application for a Small-Scale Repository
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Unit Standard
Survey Research
Qualitative Research Methods
- Qualitative Research Methods and the IRB Guidance
- Images and Recordings in Research with Human Subjects Guidance
- Use of Applications and Software for Research with Human Subjects Guidance
- Use of Artificial Intelligence in Human Subjects Research
- Use of Social Media for Research with Human Subjects Guidance
Assessing Risk and Benefits
Incentives and Compensation: Under Influence and Coercion
Data Management, Sharing, and Use
- Use of Artificial Intelligence in Human Subjects Research
- Collection and Reporting of Demographic Information Guidance
- Identifiable Data Sets Guidance
- Use of Social Media for Human Subjects Research Guidance
- Accessing FERPA Records for Research Purposes Guidance
- Use of Applications and Software for Research with Human Subjects Guidance
- Data Security and the IRB Guidance
- Mandated Reporting and Research with Human Subjects Guidance
- Research Administration and Compliance “Data Use Agreements” Webpage
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Guidance
Using the WCG Private IRB