Students as Researchers

This guidance document is intended to assist students and their faculty sponsor's with navigating if an application to the CofC IRB is required for their research activities. Contact compliance@cofc.edu with any questions. 

Students as Researchers Guidance

Categories of Student Research Involving Human Participants

Questions regarding these categories and human research participant requirements should be directed to the Research Compliance Coordinator in ORGA.  Course IRB approval may be appropriate in some circumstances.

1. Research Practica or Course-Based Research Assignments

A number of departments offer courses that require students to undertake projects in which other people are interviewed, observed, or otherwise serve as participants. The purpose of these course projects is to train students and provide them with a closer view of social, educational, or psychological processes, and an opportunity to practice various research methods. Such projects typically do not lead to generalizable knowledge and are not undertaken with that goal in mind. Therefore, the IRB does not consider them to be research and IRB review and approval is not required unless study subjects include persons who are not enrolled in the course and/or involves:

  • minors (some teacher education projects may be exempt from this requirement),
  • other special or vulnerable populations whose ability to give informed consent may be compromised,
  • pregnant women or fetuses who may be put at risk of physical harm,
  • a topic of a sensitive nature, the examination or reporting of such may place the participant at more than minimal risk, or
  • any type of activity that places the participant at more than minimal risk.

However, even when human participant involvement in course projects is not considered research, these projects should follow the same guidelines for the protection of people's privacy, dignity, and welfare. The IRB recommends the completion of the CITI Program training by all enrolled students who will participate in course projects involving humans.

If there appears to be a chance that the project will result in generalizable information, it is strongly recommended that IRB approval be secured before the research begins. However, if this course research project unexpectedly results in a project worthy of publication or presentation beyond the class and the instructor and the students have completed the CITI training, The course instructor must secure a letter to this effect by contacting the Research Compliance Coordinator.

2. Individual Research Projects

Student-initiated and/or student-conducted research using human participants that does not fall under the heading of a research practicum or a course-based research assignment and which is undertaken with the intent to contribute to generalizable knowledge, requires human research participant review and approval. This includes, but is not limited to, undergraduate bachelor’s essays, capstone or senior research projects, graduate thesis research, and independent studies.

In order to constitute student research a project must be initiated and conducted by the student, under the guidance of a faculty sponsor. This includes the development of the purpose and objectives of the research, description of research methodology, construction and distribution of surveys and related consent documents, and analysis of data.

For the purposes of the IRB Application:

  • Undergraduate students engaged in individual research projects should be listed as the Co-PI on the IRB application with the faculty sponsor listed as the PI.
  • Graduate students engaged in individual research projects should be listed as the PI, but these applications must include a faculty or staff member listed as the Faculty Sponsor.
  • Undergraduate and graduate students may be listed as Research Associates when they are engaged in research conducted by a faculty investigator, not for the student’s individual research project.
3. Research conducted at or by an external organization

CofC IRB Submission and Approval IS NOT REQUIRED: When the research is being conducted at or by the external organization, and the CofC student is being added as research staff (e.g., recruitment, collecting data, analyzing data, etc.) without the research being modified (e.g., additional survey questions) for the research purposes of the student (e.g., for the student’s thesis), the student is not acting as research investigator of CofC. This is true even when the experience will result in course credit or otherwise count towards the student’s degree progression. If documentation of this is needed for the external organization or for the student’s record, please provide a copy of this guidance. All publications generated from this research must indicate the external institution that approved the research and is providing IRB oversight.

If a student would like to use the data collected by the external organization for an independent research study at CofC then it would be considered an Individual Research Project (as defined above) and require College of Charleston IRB approval.

CofC IRB Submission and Approval IS REQUIRED: When the research is being conducted at or by the external organization, and the research will be modified (e.g., additional survey questions) and the modification is for the research purposes of the student (e.g., for the student’s thesis or other individual research project), the student is acting as research investigator at CofC. IRB review, determination of exempt status, or IRB reliance agreement will be needed, contact compliance@cofc.edu for next steps. Note that modifications to the research cannot take place until the IRB review and approval is complete.

Training in Human Participant Research

The IRB recommends inclusion of basic CITI Program training as a course requirement for research methods courses and other courses in which students may be involved in research with human participants.

Class guest presentations may also be arranged by contacting the Research Compliance Coordinator by emailing compliance@cofc.edu.

Responsibilities of the Graduate Student Researcher

In addition to the responsibilities incumbent in the conduct of research, the student researcher is responsible for the following:

  • Read all information for researchers posted on the IRB section of the ORGA website;
  • Initiate any necessary communications with ORGA;
  • Complete IRB-approved training;
  • Complete the Human Participant Research Review application with assistance from the faculty sponsor;
  • Complete all paperwork associated with requests for continuation or modifications, if needed; and
  • Submit a final report as soon as the project is completed. When applicable under the Flexibility Policy, student research will be administratively closed one year after the approval date, unless additional time is requested.

Responsibilities of the Undergraduate Student Researcher

In addition to the responsibilities incumbent in the conduct of research, the student researcher is responsible for the following:

  • Read all information for researchers posted on the IRB section of the ORGA website;
  • Initiate any necessary communications with ORGA;
  • Complete IRB-approved training;
  • Assist the faculty sponsor with the completion of the Human Participant Research Review application;
  • Work with their faculty sponsor to ensure all paperwork associated with requests for continuation or modifications, if needed, is completed; and
  • Provide information to their faculty sponsor so they may file a final report as soon as the project is completed. When applicable under the Flexibility Policy, student research will be administratively closed one year after the approval date, unless additional time is requested.

Responsibilities of the Faculty Sponsor

Faculty Sponsors are responsible for providing guidance and oversight to students regarding the conduct of their research. This includes ensuring the timely submission and accurate completion of protocols, submission of protocol modifications and/or requests for continuing reviews, compliance with the ethical conduct of human participant research, and the submission of final reports.

The faculty sponsor is also responsible for the submission of the final report if a student fails to do so. When applicable under the Flexibility Policy, student research will be administratively closed one year after the approval date, unless additional time is requested.

It is imperative that students be afforded ample opportunity to design and conduct their research projects. Therefore, it is important that early in the course they are provided with full information and ample guidance.

Timelines for Successful Student Research

Please refer to the example timelines for successful student research involving human participants on the IRB webpage.

The IRB recommends not rushing human participant research whenever possible. Students can often underestimate the amount of time it takes to secure IRB approval. It is very important to follow these recommended timelines since failure to do so can leave the student without adequate time to collect and analyze data.

The faculty sponsor should be aware of these timelines and help provide alternative methodologies that do not require IRB approval if a student falls behind this schedule. This is especially imperative if the student must complete the research to graduate on time. Additional time should be added if the research

Be aware of these items that can add extra time:

  • Completing the CITI training.
  • Obtaining permission from another organization or school to recruit participants from their population.
    • This can take days to months, depending on procedures of the site providing permission.
  • Creating the attachments. Be sure to use the correct consent template to reduce the amount of time.
    • Surveys or interview questions (final copies in the format that will be distributed to participants)
    • Recruitment flyers, emails, or posted statements
    • The correct consent template(s) must be used to reduce the amount of review time.
  • Multiple rounds of revisions. Important to only resubmit for review only after all requested revisions have been made. Depending on the revisions, Faculty Sponsor approval may be required before resubmission.
  • Getting enough participants for analysis.

 

Approved: October 16, 2009; Revised: 8/10/2026, 9/15/2023; Administratively updated: 6/3/2025