Class+Notes+2-13-10

Class Outline: 1) RERB Application


 * Sr. Carol shared a sample from RERB. The one that was chosen had two caveats that Sr. Wanted to caution us //against// including working in our own workplace and working with children. Because this individual was successful, this RERB application is very helpful.
 * Notes: RERB only is concerned with the rights of the human subjects in your study. It is only good for one year. Thus, you can collect data only during that year, unless you apply for an extension.
 * When looking at the RERB guidelines (available from the bookstore or the MyIU website), the front matter (up to page 38) is instructions. The application starts on page 38.

Page 1
 * Department/School--is where you **currently** work.
 * you can stretch your dates, but RERB is good for one year of data collection.
 * Study location can be "Various School Districts"
 * funding agency, none

Page 2
 * Leave basically blank, it's for the RERB committee mostly, just fill out the top part.
 * in "Procedure" state, "The study was reviewed by the Immaculata Review Ethics Review Board (See Appendix XXXX)". Remember: Appendices are numbered in the order they appear in your document, thus in won't be the same letter, necessarily, for each of us depending on what might be in the other prior sections.
 * If not approved, they'll tell you why and you fix it (highlighting the changes). Remember it's only done once a month. A
 * A copy of the final approval goes into your dissertation. (THUS, you don't need the actual approval letters or consent forms because it's now subsumed in the RERB process).

Pages 3 and following (the form itself)
 * If you download the template from MyIU, you can just answer the questions. Many of the answers come directly from your Chapters 1 and 3.
 * RERB doesn't care much about the actual number of participants. It's the rights of the participants that are of paramount concern.
 * RERB will want copies of all instruments and questionnaires and interviews.
 * leave "risk" (3B) as "minimal" (an infringement on personal time or inconvenience in schedule can be considered a "risk"). Don't say "none"
 * Section VI--consent procedure. This is the consent for the participants to participate in the study. This is different from the permission from the superintendents to
 * The blank consent form is what is included, but the ACTUAL copies of the superintendents' letters of approval.
 * If you're doing it online, you should include a copy of the screen shot of the consent.
 * You can include a line "If you return this survey, it implies your consent" (or something like that) at the top of your survey.
 * The time is NOW to make the unofficial contacts about to whom.
 * In the plan for intention---put something to the effect of publish in a dissertation
 * Be sure to have the advisor sign in section VIII.

If you're going to be doing research at your workplace, you have to fill out the rest...
 * If you're going to work in a different building in your district, just stress that you're not in the same building for the remainder

Other notes:
 * Be sure to include your Drexel certificate for RERB as an appendix
 * If you're going to be using a research assistant, he/she should also be trained and their cert should also be included
 * Be THOROUGH if you're going to do do this in your workplace.
 * You can't leave ANYTHING blank on the RERB.
 * You can use the wording of the question to help frame the wording of the answer with some elaboration where appropriate.
 * Consent form should be on Immaculata Stationery. Sr. Carol will send us the copy of the letterhead for our use. The consent form should be on the actual letterhead for the RERB application.
 * Minor changes to the interview questions are permissible after RERB approval.
 * Sr. Carol says do RERB and proposal concurrently. Dr. O'Brien suggests go through proposal first in case there are stipulations from your committee.
 * RERB meets "the Thursday after the 10th of the month," 12 months a year. The dates are on the IU website.
 * Because you're not present for the RERB meeting and they don't know you, you have to write it as if a stranger is reading it and answer clearly. Dr. O'Brien will call the chair almost immediately after their meeting. The chair will forward the result to the student.
 * You must submit three copies of the RERB protocol. Two for review and one for the file. If it's "do not approve", you need to submit three copies for another round of approval with highlighted changes. If it's "conditional approve" then you resubmit one copy with highlighted changes.
 * Proposal hearings do occur during the summer as well, but scheduling them can be difficult with everyone's vacation schedules.
 * We should be shooting for June/July RERB and approval, and thinking of graduating in May of 2011. :)
 * If we're going to pilot the survey, you can pilot it where you're not going to do your study.

2) APA Tips


 * Sr. Carol distributed APA tips for 6th edition from a recent IU inservice
 * Went through it point-by-point.
 * Usually you don't need to repeat the date in the same paragraph unless there is a possible source of confusion.
 * For direct quote, period after the page citation. for block quote, period after the quote (before the page citation).
 * Tables technically should be double spaced according to APA, but it can be single spaced.
 * Additional tips also in the back of the IU dissertation handbook were also discussed.
 * Do not break a table.
 * In Chapter 4, include an (n=xxx) statement so that the reader doesn't need to go back to chapter 3. Don't forget that for percentages, n>50.

3) Check List Tips from the Dissertation Guide (p. 16)