According to Leedy (2009) “we should be careful not equate the tools of research with the methodology of research. A research tool is a specific mechanism or strategy that the researcher uses to collect, manipulate, or interpret data. The research methodology is the general approach the researcher takes in carrying out the research project; to some extent, this approach dictates the particular tools the researcher selects” (p.12).
Leedy (2009) points out “confusing the tool with the research method is immediately recognizable. Such phrases as ‘library research’ and ‘statistical research’ are telltale signs and largely meaningless. They suggest…a failure to differentiate between tool and method. The library is merely a place [physical or virtual] for locating or discovering certain data that will be analyzed and interpreted later in the research process. Likewise, statistics merely provide ways to summarize and analyze data, thereby allowing us to see their nature more clearly” (pp.12-13).
Leedy (2009) lists six general tools of research:
The Research Process is Cyclical
(Leedy, 2005, p. 7)
Quantitative and Qualitative Research
(Leedy, 2005, p. 96)
Leedy, P.D., & Ormrod, J.E. (2005). Practical research: Planning and
design (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall
Section 1: About the IRB
Section 2: Ethics Training
Section 3: IRB Forms for Download
Section 4: IRB Guidelines for Investigators
Section 5: Other Resources for Investigators
Section 6: Schedule of IRB Meetings
Section 2 Ethics Training
All investigators involved with a project (including student research assistants and professors that are mentoring student research) must complete a course in ethics for human-subject research before proposals can be approved.
On completion of ethics training, investigators receive a certification that is valid for three years. Re-certification every three years is required. Manhattanville subscribes to an online training program, the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI), and as of January 2009 all new certifications must be obtained through online courses at CITI.
To access the online training, visit www.citiprogram.org, create an account, and choose Manhattanville University as your affiliation. When you click on "Add a course", you will be asked to select your curriculum.
Scroll down to the Human Subjects Research area and choose one of the 6 learner groups, depending on your subject area and status:
Social/Behavioral Research (for investigators in the social and behavioral sciences)- required for all non-exempt projects. All course instructors or mentors of any non-exempt project (i.e. any project not deemed "minimal risk") should take this course.
Biomedical Research (for investigators in the biological or biomedical sciences)
Students conducting no more than minimal risk research (for all student research assistants as long as the research is classified as minimal risk*)
Education students engaged in fieldwork (for fieldwork or graduate projects)
Instructors (for course instructors where ALL projects in the course are deemed minimal risk" research.)
IRB Members (for members of the IRB only).
Note: Research assistants must complete the Social Behavioral Research course if the research is not minimal risk.
Note: When the course is completed successfully, notification will be sent automatically to the IRB Chair; no further proof of completion needs to be submitted.
Section 3 IRB Forms for Download
Instructions
The forms are provided in Word format and are designed to be filled out electronically. Fill in the forms by clicking on and typing into any grey box, which will expand to fit your answer. You can also use the TAB key to move from one box to another. Save your completed forms using a new file name that includes your last name, attach any necessary appendices, and submit via email to irb@mville.edu.
Student Exemption Form
This form is used by student investigators who are carrying out an exempt research project as part of a college course, for exempt doctoral dissertations, or for exempt master's research projects. (A detailed checklist on the form will help to determine whether the activity is likely to be exempt; if not, you will need to use the Student Research Form, below.) The form must be approved and submitted by a faculty mentor or instructor to irb@mville.edu
Student Research Form
These forms are used by student investigators who are carrying out a project as part of a college course, and the research includes activities that are not expected to be exempt. For doctoral students working on a dissertation research project, use the Faculty Staff Research Form above. (For guidance on whether an activity is exempt, see the detailed checklist on the Student Exemption Form, above, or the Guidelines for Investigators.)
You must submit both the Student Research Form and the Informed Consent Form Checklist with your submission. The General IRB Submission Checklist is provided below for your reference, but is not required for submission. The forms must be approved and submitted by a faculty mentor or instructor to irb@mville.edu.
