Institutional Barriers to Research on Sensitive Topics: Case of Sex Communication Research Among University Students

When conducting research on sensitive topics, it is challenging to use new methods of data collection given the apprehensions of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). This is especially worrying because sensitive topics of research often require novel approaches. In this article a brief personal histo...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Carey M. Noland
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Athabasca University Press 2012-11-01
Series:Journal of Research Practice
Subjects:
Online Access:http://jrp.icaap.org/index.php/jrp/article/view/332/262
Description
Summary:When conducting research on sensitive topics, it is challenging to use new methods of data collection given the apprehensions of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). This is especially worrying because sensitive topics of research often require novel approaches. In this article a brief personal history of navigating the IRB process for conducting sex communication research is presented, along with data from a survey that tested the assumptions long held by many IRBs. Results support some of the assumptions IRBs hold about sex communication research, but do not support some other assumptions.
ISSN:1712-851X