Do surveys created for improving services and programs at UMBC need IRB review?

A question that comes up not only at UMBC, but at other institutions as well. And, is IRB review required? It depends.

Surveys that are for quality improvement/quality assurance or for developing new services or programs for students, employees, or alumni, may not need IRB review. Surveyors should keep in mind that privacy of the participants needs to be protected, the confidentiality of individual responses is maintained, and survey participation is voluntary.

If, at a future date, an opportunity will arise to contribute previously collected survey data to a new project producing generalizable knowledge, an application for IRB review would be required before the data could be released to the new project.

The IRB has developed a QI/QA algorithm to help sort this out.