Definitions

Anonymous
Names or identifiers are not given to the researcher by the research participant. Data are recorded in such a manner that responses cannot be traced back to the individual participant.

Assent
An affirmative agreement to participate in research. Mere failure to object cannot be construed as assent.

Children/Minors
Persons who have not attained the legal age for consent of treatments or procedures involved in the research, under the applicable law of the jurisdiction in which the research will be conducted. In Alabama, minors are people less than age 19.

Coercion
Circumstances that may make a potential research participant feel that participation is not fully voluntary or without prejudice.

Confidential

When names or other identifiers may be given to the researcher by the research participant and/or data could be traced back to that participant; but, the Principal Investigator has implemented a means of protecting the privacy of that individual.

Debriefing
The process of informing research participant(s) of the actual purpose of the research, furnishing additional information regarding the research and providing an additional opportunity to withdraw data provided by the participant. The IRB requires a copy of the debriefing procedure whenever deception is involved.

Deception
Providing the participant with misinformation or withholding explicit information about the research that might influence the participant's response. The IRB requires debriefing whenever deception is involved.

Informed consent
The process of informing potential participants with all the information they might reasonably need to know in order to decide whether to participate in the procedure.

Minimal risk
When the risk(s) of harm anticipated in the proposed research is not greater than that ordinarily encountered in daily life or through routine physical or psychological examinations or tests.

Parental informed consent
The process of informing potential participant's parents or guardians of all the information they might reasonably need to know to decide whether to allow the child's participation in the procedure.

Principal Investigator
The person (student, faculty or staff) responsible for the conduct of the research.

IRB (Institutional Review Board)
The Institutional Review Board is responsible for review of TROY research involving the use of human participants for all Troy University sites, including TROY Global Campus sites.

Research
A systematic investigation designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.

Research Participant
A living individual about whom an investigator conducting research obtains data or identifiable information.

Suspended Protocols
If the IRB has not reapproved a research study by the study's current expiration date, the research will be suspended. While under suspension, new subjects accrual must stop. Interventions under the research protocol must be halted unless an over-riding concern for the safety or well-being of the subjects, or other ethical issues, are involved. In such cases, the investigator must contact the IRB immediately. The suspension will be lifted when and if the protocol is reapproved by the IRB.

Terminated Protocols
A protocol will be terminated at the request of the Principal Investigator or as a result of protocol violation as described elsewhere. When a protocol is terminated, no further subjects may be accrued into the study and all subjects currently enrolled must be notified of the protocol's termination. Subjects may not be followed for research observation or data collection after such termination.