Indépendant research questions

[olayak]

Hi,
I have 3 masters degrees but I'm not currently in school. I presented my thesis at some big psychology conventions. I really want to do more research, but I'm not currently affiliated with a university. How do I get IRB approval without being attached to a university? Is there anything I should be aware of when doing research independently?
Thanks

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[deleted343839]

Hi,
I have 3 masters degrees but I'm not currently in school. I presented my thesis at some big psychology conventions. I really want to do more research, but I'm not currently affiliated with a university. How do I get IRB approval without being attached to a university? Is there anything I should be aware of when doing research independently?
Thanks

I'm going to assume that one of your master's degrees is in psychology, in which case I strongly advise you to read and re-read the American Psychological Association ethics code before proceeding. If you have a license, you should also familiarize yourself with your state's regulations for licensees conducting research (if those apply).

There are independent IRBs that you can engage for a fee (a small list can be found at: http://www.consortiumofirb.org/cirb_members.htm). Some IRBs go through an accreditation process through an organization called Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP), though I am not familiar enough with accreditation to know what this entails.

The advice I would give is to proceed with caution, do everything by the letter and within both the law and the ethical guidelines of the profession with which you are most closely aligned, and seek advice or consultation from an academically affiliated person (faculty, research associate, etc.).