International Research

If you are planning to do research outside of the United States, you must comply with any existing research requirements of the country.

The "International Compilation of Human Research Protections" http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/international/intlcompilation/intlcompilation.html is a resource you may consult for known international research protections.

If you are going to any of the 27 EU countries, you should review the EU's Protection of Personal Data legislation. http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/index_en.htm

Legal is not always adequate. An investigators should go the extra mile and seek approval for their research from the local IRB, ethics committee or other local resource acting on behalf of the local constituency the PI wishes to study. Be sure that you know details such as what the local legal age to consent is, that your method of collecting data will not be disturbing or insulting to your subjects, that your method of getting and documenting consent is reasonable for the population to be studied.

The political or social climate in a foreign country may be such that normal methods for protecting data and the confidentiality and identity of research subjects in the U.S. are not adequate. Researchers should address these problems in their IRB application. Projects dealing with advocacy, history, minorities, politics, religion, refugees, roots or sexuality may not be welcome in the host country. Try to make a local contact who knows the indiginous culture.

The Kenyon IRB will ask for information on the Country's regulations and requirements and, especially in the case of student PIs, may request that a formal connection to an educational, research, or government institution be made. (This could be a college/university department or faculty member willing to act as adviser to the Kenyon student.)

Some international study programs have a research requirement and some run their own IRBs. Even if the program's IRB approved your project, if you intend to use your research for Kenyon course or graduation requirements after you return, your research protocol must be reviewed by the Kenyon IRB. You will be asked to supply a copy of the international study program's IRB approval. Be sure to keep all documentation including IRB application, approval, protocol documents including recruitment, consent, and questionnaires or other measurement or interview tools or schedules. Additionaly, you must have completed Kenyon's required Human Subjects in Research training course. http://www.kenyon.edu/x35026.xml

Faculty PIs may find that a collaboration with an academic in the country of interest will increase the likelihood of permission to do research in that country.

Applying the basic principles of the Belmont Report, Respect for Persons, Beneficence, and Justice, provides a framework for conducting ethical human subjects research. Interpreting and applying those principles in another cultural setting may be challenging. Researchers need a clear understanding of both the ethical guidelines and government regulations pertaining to any proposed research, from both the U.S. and host country governments.