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IRB

Public use datasets are made with the intention of being available to the public. The UNCG IRB recognizes that de-identified, publicly available data does not constitute human subject research. As such, the UNCG IRB allows the use of the below reviewed and pre-approved public datasets without IRB review if the following are met:

  • The researcher will not merge the data with any other data that would allow the possibility of identification of any individual.
  • The researcher will not enhance the dataset with information that would allow the possibility of identification of any individual.
  • The dataset does not have restricted or limited data access (ex. requires a password, data use agreement or permission to view). This type of data is not considered publicly available and will require IRB review.

Datasets that can be used without IRB approval IF all criteria are met:

Center for Disease Control (CDC)

National Center for Health Statistics

National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS)

U.S. Bureau of the Census

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

City of Greensboro Housing & Neighborhood Development – Code Compliance Division

This list will continue to be updated as researchers make requests to add specific data sets. Requests can be made by emailing ORI@uncg.edu.

The UNCG IRB recommends that all printed recruitment materials include the following elements:

  • Location of study and name and contact information of a person to be contacted about the study (if other than already provided)
  • Name and institutional affiliation of investigator
  • Purpose of the study and a clear indication that it constitutes research
  • Summary of inclusion/exclusion criteria
  • Summary of study procedures
  • Time or other commitment required by participants
  • Compensation or reimbursement

Preferred Method

Use of UNCG Approved Devices:

  • UNCG owned and managed device (e.g., laptop, tablet, phone, etc.)

If you do not have access to an approved audio recording device, they can be rented at no charge by completing this form from ORETECH.

Use of UNCG Approved Software and Storage:

  • Box
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Microsoft OneDrive
  • Microsoft SharePoint

Alternative Method

Use of Personal Devices:

  • If the researcher has no other choice than to use a non-UNCG owned and managed device (e.g., laptop, tablet, phone, recorder, etc.) for the purposes of temporarily collecting, storing, or transmitting (even temporarily), voice, video, digital or image recordings, the security safeguards of the device must be verified by the researcher. The researcher is responsible for following data security policies established by UNCG, research sponsors, or regulatory agencies to properly secure the research data (of any data classification level) and may be held accountable if the data is compromised due to negligence in handling the research data, or if their actions are found to have caused a data exposure or security incident.
  • Data should be held on personal devices only for the time necessary to be promptly moved to a secure university managed location, and copies of the data should be deleted from the device immediately after transfer to an approved UNCG storage location.

Institutional Research Data

The Office of Institutional Research and Enterprise Data Management (IREDM) serves as the centralized, certified source for university data needs, including reports, dashboards, statistical analysis, and data governance. Requests for aggregate and de-identified insitutional data can be made through their website.

FERPA and Student Data

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

Unless a student requests in writing to the contrary, federal law permits the university to release Directory Information to the public without the student’s consent.

Directory Information is information in a student’s education record that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. At UNC Greensboro, Directory Information consists of:

  • Student’s first and last name
  • Major field of study
  • Dates of attendance
  • Enrollment status
  • Anticipated graduation date
  • Degrees awarded
  • Awards (including scholarships)

Additionally, UNC Greensboro designates some information as Limited-Use Directory Information.

The use and disclosure of this information is restricted to:

(1) university officials who have access, consistent with FERPA, to such information and only in conjunction with a legitimate educational interest (see below) and,

(2) external parties contractually affiliated with the university, provided such affiliation requires the sharing of Limited-Use Directory Information. Limited-Use Directory Information consists of:

  • Date of Birth
  • Local and permanent address
  • Student e-mail address
  • County, state, or US territory from which the student originally enrolled
  • Telephone numbers
  • Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
  • Weight and height of members of athletic teams
  • The most recent previous educational agency attended by the student

(3) military recruiters are entitled to student’s names, addresses, UNCG email addresses, telephone listings, date and place of birth, levels of education, academic majors, and degrees received.

What is a Legitimate Educational Interest?

A University official has a “legitimate educational interest” in a student’s record(s) if the University official is:

  • Performing a task that is specified in the official’s position description or by a contract agreement, and;
  • Performing a task related to a student’s education, or;
  • Performing a task related to the processing of a disciplinary charge involving the student or;
  • Providing a service or benefit relating to the student or the student’s family (e.g., health care, counseling, job placement, financial aid).

For more information about FEPRA or to receive further guidance, please contact the University Registrar’s Office.

IACUC

It is the policy of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro that research carried out by its faculty, staff, and students be characterized by the highest standards of scientific integrity and ethical behavior. Therefore, all research projects conducted under the auspices of the University are subject to review to ensure the protection of the rights and welfare of the individuals who participate as subjects, the responsible and humane treatment of animals used in research projects, the validity and integrity of the research data, and the scientific integrity of the research process. This policy applies to all research activities whether or not requests for outside funding are involved.

The Chancellor has responsibility for overseeing the implementation of this policy. He/She authorizes signature of compliance documents and special reports required by federal regulation. To assist in carrying out this policy, the Chancellor has designated responsibilities for Post-Approval Monitoring to the Office of Research Integrity. The Office of Research Integrity, in collaboration with the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), will conduct periodic reviews of research in progress, and research records, to ensure compliance with standards set by regulations of the federal government.

This policy does not preclude the implementation of additional review procedures at the departmental or college/school level.

Revised 7/12/18

IBC

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