Research projects that would fall under secondary use are those which utilize previously-collected data to answer a new research question. Before the research can begin, the Research Ethics Board (REB) will need to review your proposed research. Using old data to answer new questions has a number of advantages, such as not wasting resources (e.g., […]
What is Secondary Use Research? (Part 1 of 2)
In previous issues, I have addressed the forms required for secondary use of data as well as how, in some cases, participants’ consent may not be required for secondary use projects. This week, I will define what a secondary use research project really is (to be continued in the next issue). In future articles, I […]
The Anatomy of a Research Question
In December, I asked for your feedback in a quick two-question survey. Thank you for providing it. This was one of the suggested topics 🙂 The goal of your research project is to answer one or more research questions (typically 1-2 questions, which may have related sub-questions, also termed secondary research questions). So, your question […]
Is Informed Consent Always Required?
The short answer is “no”. No, informed consent is not always required, but it usually is. As a general rule, researchers are not required to obtain consent form participants if obtaining their consent will do more harm (broadly defined) than using the data without participants’ consent. For example, in the case of secondary data. Suppose […]
When Do I Use Each REB Form?
Before I describe the use of each REB form, it’s important to explain where to find them. Each form (and template) that I will refer to is available on ICE: Teams – Academic – Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship – Research Ethics Board, then click on “Related Forms” on the left hand side (or just […]
IS in the DC Strategic Research Plan
 As a reminder, the college’s current Academic Plan (available here), includes 4 goals, the fourth of which is to “intensify and strengthen the college’s applied research agenda” and includes four objectives (4.1-4.4) 1)…implement strategies to further develop and strengthen faculty members’ research capabilities. 2)…increase research training opportunities for students to engage in applied research projects both […]
Course-Based Research: Part 2
Last time, I described in detail what is course-based research. In this post, I will outline the REB process and provide some example of projects. As a reminder course-based research is a focus of Goal 4 of the Academic Plan (Objective 4.2) and refers to research endeavours that are undertaken by students within a […]
Course-Based Research: Part 1
Providing students with opportunities for research inside and outside of their program of study builds important skills which is one of the reasons why course-based research has been highlighted in Goal 4 of the Academic Plan (Objective 4.2). Course-based research involves embedding research in curriculum (within a specific course). What requirements must be met for […]
Research in Colleges
Why are colleges interested in research? Isn’t that a university thing? I received a couple of questions about this last year and I think it’s worth addressing.Colleges are obviously different from universities in important ways, otherwise we wouldn’t have both. Colleges offer different programs and different approaches to teaching. Additionally, our students are different from […]
Brief Overview of Research
Research generally refers to a systematic inquiry on a given topic, with an aim to expand our knowledge on that topic. The outcome can describe a phenomena or state of affairs, or try to either predict or change behaviours/outcomes, among other things. Typically, a researcher has a research question to guide their inquiry (e.g., “How […]