[Web4lib] academic libraries: oversight for usability tests

[Clayton Crenshaw]

We are developing an active, ongoing program of usability testing for
our library website.  The staff members for our local institutional
review board are taking the position that every word of every test that
we administer must have their approval.  Yet I read about other academic
libraries doing "rapid" and "fast-track" development, which doesn't seem
possible in such a scenario.  

My question:  What does your IRB office require for website usability
testing, and do you have to submit everything to them in advance?  If
it's something less than that, please describe the level of oversight. 
If you have avoided this issue, either by not publishing your research
results or by other means, then I'd like to know that too.

Thank you,


Clayton Crenshaw
Web Services Librarian
Gibson D. Lewis Health Science Library
University of North Texas Health Science Center
817.735.5070
3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard



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