Hello There!Thank you for visiting our IRB Page. Here you will find all the information you need regarding the ethical protocols followed by this study.

 

What is IRB?

 

Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a committee that reviews all human research proposals and ensures that ethical practices are being followed.

 

Every UC Davis research study interacting with people and gathering any data on them requires IRB approval in order to perform the study. There is a regrettable history of unethical research done on vulnerable populations, IRB seeks to create a safe environment in which can be performed with minimal risks to the participants.

 

Why do you need IRB approval?

 

Most IRB regulations look at health or biologically related experiments with humans, however, there are many ways in which social research can cause harm or endanger participants. IRB ensures that data gathered cannot be used against the participants and it is up to the researcher to uphold that ethical value. What is the risk posed in this study? We are conducting sensitive interviews with a venerable population. Ideally, the risks are minimal, but the risks are there. The data gathered in raw format contains few identifiers and is coded for storage. This means that no one other than the initial interviewer will know the name of the participant. All files distributed for public consumption will be stripped of any identifying factors and just posed as a “story”. We are asking participants to express their migration story in their own words, but we offer ways in which participants can anonymize themselves which are explained to the interviewees so they can choose how to best remain anonymous.

 

What is your IRB application number?

 

IRB submitted to UC Davis Social & Behavioral Committee C, Davis, CA [1783103-1] Creating a Community of Practice and Awareness Through an Oral Needs Assessment in California