It can seem intimidating to come before the IRB and present your research, especially if you\u2019re not sure what to expect. What is the purpose? What will the IRB say or do?<\/p>\n
Basically, you don\u2019t have<\/em> to be there at all. But if you are doing research that requires full board review, the IRB wants to review it carefully and often has questions. If you\u2019re there to answer their questions, the reviews go much more smoothly, and your study is more likely to be approved rather than tabled (more on that below).<\/p>\n Meetings are virtual on Teams. We’ll share login information with you in advance of the meeting.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re testing a new device that you\u2019ve created or modified, we love it if you can demonstrate it! It is extremely helpful to see the device in action.<\/p>\n If you have any other charts, graphs, etc. that weren\u2019t included in the submission, you can email those to us ahead of time and we\u2019ll distribute them and\/or display them during the meeting. When you join virtually, feel free to share your screen.<\/p>\n Typically, 10-15 IRB members attend any given meeting.<\/p>\n Our meetings are open meetings, in accordance with Wisconsin state law. This means you are free to join whenever is convenient for you. If you join at the scheduled time and the IRB is discussing something else, feel free to join or wait, whichever you prefer. If the review ahead of yours is taking longer than expected and it will be a while, or if we need to go into closed session, we\u2019ll be sure to let you know.<\/p>\n Once we\u2019re ready to review your study, the chair will typically ask you to introduce yourself and give us an overview of your research. You should also plan to explain the importance of the research and what the potential benefit will be. Everyone will have reviewed the materials already, but it\u2019s still helpful to hear a summary from the researcher.<\/p>\n Your study will be assigned to 1-2 primary reviewers. These individuals have expertise more closely aligned with your area of research and will do an in-depth review. They usually start the discussion process, asking you questions they have about your study, and the other members join in with any additional questions. We\u2019ll ask for clarification on anything that was unclear, or how you chose the subject population, procedures, etc.<\/p>\n Remember, most questions are simply that \u2013 questions! We\u2019re asking because we want to make sure we thoroughly understand your plan. You shouldn\u2019t feel like the questions are a criticism or that you\u2019re doing things wrong. There may be some things we think should be changed, but if so, we\u2019ll be direct and tell you.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t worry about trying to take notes. The IRB office staff take detailed notes, so you can just focus on answering the IRB members\u2019 questions. You\u2019ll receive a letter via email within 1-2 business days outlining the specific changes needed in your materials.<\/p>\n Once the IRB\u2019s questions are answered, we\u2019ll thank you for coming and you can leave.<\/p>\n After you\u2019ve left, the chair will ask for any final discussion and then the IRB will vote on your study. To approve the proposal, the IRB must agree that all the following criteria are met:<\/p>\n There are 4 possible votes:<\/p>\n As mentioned above, you\u2019ll receive an email within 1-2 business days after the meeting with details of any revisions requested. If your study has been tabled to the next meeting, we\u2019ll let you know.<\/p>\n If you have any questions along the way, please feel free to ask. We\u2019re happy to help!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Do I need to bring anything?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Who will be there?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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What will happen at the meeting?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What happens next?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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