Researcher conducting a very short survey on the election asks for your help

http://cmu.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_38iVOgsi9vZdtXe&SVID=Prod ^ | galtypleasure

[galtypleasure]

Hi this is my first post. I'm a graduate student from Carnegie Mellon University doing some research on political attitudes and I am looking for folks right-of-center to respond. If you don't mind, please take a few minutes. You do not need to provide any identifying information at all. This is not for any partisan purpose.

Thanks very much!

http://cmu.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_38iVOgsi9vZdtXe&SVID=Prod

[Kirkwood]

Please provide your IRB number for conducting this survey.

[Gay State Conservative]

I need to know a lot more about you before I decide to help you.”More about you” meaning *your* politics....*your* attitudes,etc.Carnegie Mellon is,as far as I'm concerned,a suspect institution when it comes to politics.

[EyeGuy]

Well, not that it means much, but the screen name implies a right-wing orientation.

[Kirkwood]

Since you haven’t provided your IRB number, I have to assume that this is research not approved by the CMU IRB. I will be contacting the CMU Psychology department and the CMU IRB chairman on Monday to report this violation.

[HoosierHawk]

OK, what's an IRB number?

[Not A Snowbird]

If it’s in your power to modify that survey, I would add two questions.

Take the two that specifically mention Obama and add identical questions that specifically mention McCain. That would make your survey neutral. As it is, it’s biased against Obama (not that that’s a bad thing...)

[east1234]

An angry right winger just filled it out for you, good luck.

[ArchAngel1983]

Trolls are getting mighty ambitious these days. Maybe they’re looking for The One to be pres for life.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

Hey n00b, come back and defend your post, if it’s worthy. If not, Lightning Be Upon You (LBUY)

[Grams A]

Make that two right wingers - one angry, one worried.

[DBrow]

Second that. When I work on a campus I must file IRB if I plan to ask ANY question other than ID and especially for opinions.

Is your work sanctioned by the university? Are you being funded for it?

[Kirkwood]

IRB = Institutional Review Board. All research conducted involving humans must be preapproved by a review board panel consisting of scientists and members of the community. Even survey questionnaires must be approved, although they are often considered exempt from a thorough review. Nonetheless, they must be examined for content and purpose before being issued an IRB number. If the researcher fails to obtain an IRB number, that person and the university may be subject to fines and restrictions in future research.

[HoosierHawk]

Many thanks for the info.

HH

[dickmc]

Radio should have been listed as an additional information source.

Forums should be included in the blogs area.

[radiohead]

EXCEPT - research for classes don’t have to get IRB approval. From my current school -

“The University considers classroom assignments to be educational in nature, and not subject to IRB review, when all of the following criteria are true. ...

3. The project is limited to surveys/questionnaires/interview procedures, observation of public behavior, or standard educational exercises directly related to the topic(s) being studied in an official University course.”

I like to help grad students, heck, I teach grad students, and our poster might be on safe ground, but I’d like to know more before responding.

Now, if he is planning to publish his findings and analysis,that’s a different story. His status with IRB was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw that the request was coming from a grad student, who is more likely to want the data for a publishable study.

[dano1]

"OK, what's an IRB number? "

That's so we don't get traumatized by the survey or nothing.

[Slings and Arrows]

Can you say “selection bias?” I thought you could!

[SunkenCiv]

This is still working.