Is secondary analysis of data human subjects research?
Much research in the social sciences deals with the re-analysis of data often available in a “public-use data file”. This is known as “secondary analysis”. The goals of the Common Rule apply to any person who has the potential to be harmed because of a research project, whether or not the person is directly interviewed or identified through data collected by another researcher for a different purpose. Public use data files are normally stripped of identifiable private information or “de-identified. In this case, the research is exempt since no identifiable human subjects are involved.
Related Questions
- Activities must meet the definition of research and involve human subjects as defined in DHHS regulations, or be research and involve human subjects as defined in FDA regulations to be subject to the IRBs jurisdiction. How do I know if my project meets the definition of human research?
- What if my research does not involve human subjects and I will not be collecting any data identifiable to a private person?
- When does research with human specimens, cells, cell lines, or data involve human subjects?
