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Get Permission for Your Research

Scientists must make sure their research is safe and permitted – both for themselves, and for any humans or animals involved in their research. 

At eiRxiv, we prioritize the safety of our student researchers and their community. Our safety and research permission guidelines are based on the guidelines for the  Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).

If your research meets any of the following criteria, you must get approval from the appropriate committee or organization before you start your research: 

  • It is conducted on humans or vertebrate animals
  • It uses surveys to collect information from people
  • It analyzes or uses human data collected by other people

eiRxiv cannot accept manuscripts on these topics that do not have research approval, or that only received approval after the research was completed.

Animal Studies

When do Animal Studies Need Approval Before Starting a Research Project?

Students need approval for studies involving vertebrate animals (animals with backbones) unless all the following are true:

  • Students only observe the animals (no touching, testing, or experiments)
  • Students do not change the animals’ environment
  • The research follows all state and federal wildlife regulations

 

If the research does not meet all three conditions, students need approval from an IACUC or SRC (see below).

When do Human Studies Need Approval Before Starting a Research Project?

Students need approval for studies involving humans (including interviews and surveys) unless the project meets at least one of these exceptions:

  • Students are observing in a public place without changing the environment, interacting with the individuals being studied, and/or recording personally identifying information.
  • Students are only using existing data that is publicly available (no new data collection or use of private data) and comes from a single, uncombined dataset.
    • Publicly available data must have been ethically collected, which means that the dataset should come with its own SRC/IRB approval.
      • If you cannot find any record of SRC/IRB approval for the dataset, you should not use it for your research.
    • If you are combining multiple datasets, or using a dataset someone else has combined, you will need to get SRC/IRB approval to ensure combining datasets is ethical and will not result in de-identification of the data.
      • eiRxiv will need to see approval that is specific to the combination of multiple datasets. Individual approval forms for each dataset will not be accepted.
      • If you are forming your own SRC for a combined dataset, we recommend your SRC include 1) an expert in the field (e.g., a neurologist for an MRI study), 2) a data science expert, 3) a science teacher

If the research does not fit these exceptions, approval is required from an SRC or IRB. See the full ISEF guidelines for human-subjects research for a more comprehensive description of requirements and SRC/IRB review criteria.

Please note that eiRxiv DOES require approval even if the student author(s) is/are the only human subject(s) involved in the research project – a departure from ISEF guidelines. This is to ensure that the student(s) is/are not proposing any experiments that may be harmful to them physically or mentally.

 

Informed Consent for Human Participants

If your research involves human participants and does not meet the exemptions listed above, participants must also give informed consent before the research starts. This means each person who takes part in the research agrees to participate by signing a form that explains the project, what they’ll be asked to do, and how the data will be used. 

Getting Informed consent: 

  1. Submit a blank consent form to your SRC/IRB form for them to review before you start your research. 
    1. In some cases, the SRC/IRB may decide that consent is not needed if the research has minimal risk and does not collect personal information. This decision must be clearly shown on your SRC/IRB approval form. 
  2. If the SRC/IRB determines you need consent forms, have the participants sign the forms before you collect any data from them. 
    1. If research participants are minors (under 18), both the child and their parents/guardian must sign the consent form.
  3. Include a blank copy of the consent form when you submit your manuscript to eiRxiv
    1. The coordinating adult should keep copies of the signed consent forms in case anyone needs to review them in the future. 
    2. Do not submit the completed consent forms to eiRxiv–they contain private information. 

If you’d like, you can use JEI’s Human Subject Research Informed Consent Form as a template for your consent form for your study. 

How to get Approval for your Study

You must get approval for your research before you start to ensure you and any humans or animals involved in the research will be safe.

If you’re doing research at an institution (like a university, lab, or some schools):

Lab safety: Most institutions have their own safety policies, procedures, and permissions. This includes concerns like chemical safety, biologically hazardous materials, personal protective equipment, and more. Work with your research mentor at your facility to make sure you are properly trained and following all safety guidelines and procedures. 

Human or Animal Studies: Larger institutions have committees called Institutional Review Boards (IRB). IRBs consist of five or more people with different fields of expertise. They review proposed human research (before it starts) and determine whether it meets the institution’s ethical guidelines, whether it could be harmful for the participants, and whether the researcher needs to change their research plan to make it safer. 

Before you start your research, check to see if your institution has its own IRB. If so, follow their procedures and policies, and use their forms. Then, you can submit the signed IRB approval form and a blank consent form (if applicable) with your eiRxiv manuscript. 

If your institution does not have its own IRB, you will need to form an SRC (see below). 

Animal Studies: Studies involving vertebrate animals (animals with backbones) must get approval from an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). IACUC reviews proposed animal research (before it starts) and determines whether it meets the institution’s ethical guidelines, whether it could be harmful for the animal subjects, and whether the researcher needs to change their research plan to make it safer or more humane. 

Before you start your research, check to see if your institution has its own IRB. If so, follow their procedures and policies, and use their forms. Then, you can submit the signed IACUC approval form and a blank consent form with your eiRxiv manuscript. 

If your institution does not have its own IACUC, you will need to form an SRC (see below).

If you do not have access to an IRB or IACUC for your research (see above), you will need to form an SRC (Scientific Review Committee). 

Step 1: Form an SRC

  • An SRC consists of 3 people: 
    • An appropriate professional expert (for example, a veterinarian for animal research, a psychologist for a human survey, a medical doctor for human research, and/or a computer science expert for studies combining human datasets)
    • A science teacher who is not involved in the research
    • A school administrator (e.g. a principal) OR a second expert 
  • An SRC cannot include: 
    • Anyone who is listed as an author on the manuscript (including mentors)
    • The Coordinating Adult
    • Any parents, guardians, or family members of any authors
    • One person serving in multiple roles
  • eiRxiv cannot form an SRC for you, or suggest individuals for your SRC because this creates a conflict of interest. 

 

Step 2: Submit your research proposal and any relevant forms to your SRC. 

 

Step 3: If the SRC requests changes, make them and resubmit your proposal to the SRC to get approval. 

 

Step 4: Once your research proposal is approved, do your research!

 

Step 5: Submit your completed manuscript to eiRxiv with your signed SRC approval form and a copy of a blank consent form (for human studies).