Exemptions of the Common Rule (Cont.)

Besides questionnaire, survey, interview, and test based research, what other types of behavioral and social science research projects are in the exempt category under the Common Rule?

• Research and demonstration projects conducted by federal agencies to study programs and program benefits;
• Consumer studies, including taste and food quality studies.

Is ethnographic research exempt?

Depending on the specifics of the research project, ethnographic research may be exempt, qualify for expedited review, or require full IRB review. Although research involving public behavior is exempt under the Common Rule, projects focusing on sensitive information, where the disclosure of responses could harm the respondent, require full IRB review.