Interesting website: Engagement of Institutions in Research (J. Thomas Puglisi). URL: www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/assurance/engage.htm

In a memo dated January 26, 1999, the Director of the Division of Human Subject Protections explained that an institution becomes engaged in human subjects research (and needs a formal review of that research) when they "intervene or interact with living individuals for research purposes" or they "obtain individually identifiable private information for research purposes." What about a statistician who analyzes data collected at another site? Does this constitute a level of work that would require review at the statistician's site? You're off the hook if you "at no time obtain, receive, or possess identifiable private information." If you receive coded data that can be linked back to private information, you do need to seek approval, unless "a written agreement unequivocally prohibits release of identifying codes."

The description of this website was written by Steve Simon on 2007-11-28, edited by Steve Simon, and was last modified on 2008-06-21. This website was last verified on 2007-11-28. Send feedback to ssimon at cmh dot edu or click on the email link at the top of the page. Category: Ethics in research, Category: Interesting websites