Do research projects conducted by Cornell students need IRB approval?
Yes. Projects conducted by Cornell undergraduate and graduate students need IRB approval, if the project fits the definitions of research and human participants as described above. If the project is to be used in classroom setting only to teach research methods, the project may not constitute human participant research. However, this means that at no point during or after the conclusion of the course can the results or the data be used for publication, presentation or other research purposes. Therefore, students should discuss these limitations with their instructor or faculty advisor so that they can determine whether IRB review is necessary.
