Institutional permission/approval for usability testing?

[Amy Vecchione]

Hello,

At Boise State if the data is for internal review only we did not need to
obtain an IRB, but we did document the testing with a form acknowledging
that it was for internal review only.

Now we have just completed a very large undertaking of usability testing
including something like 10 different scripts and other types of data
acquisition so that we CAN write about it. We do not obtain any identifying
information nor demographic information so no one can be identified for
their information.

I've written a number of IRBs at my institution, so I've learned what they
need and don't need.

Thanks,

Amy

Amy Vecchione, Digital Access Librarian/Associate Professor
http://works.bepress.com/amy_vecchione/
Albertsons Library, Boise State University, L212
http://library.boisestate.edu
(208) 426-1625

On Wed, Oct 22, 2014 at 2:17 PM, Ken Varnum <varnum at umich.edu> wrote:

> We [University of Michigan Library] applied for and obtained blanket IRB
> approval for that informal usability studies, though our definition of
> informal may include the recording of subjects.
>
>
> --
> Ken Varnum | Web Systems Manager | University of Michigan Library
> varnum at umich.edu | @varnum | 734-615-3287
> http://www.lib.umich.edu/users/varnum
>
> On Mon, Oct 20, 2014 at 4:24 PM, Alexander Sonsteby <
> Alexander.Sonsteby at metrostate.edu> wrote:
>
>>   Hi, all,
>>
>>
>>  I am writing to ask how many of your libraries have sought
>> institutional review board (IRB)/human subject review board (HSRB) approval
>> to conduct informal usability testing on your libraries' websites. By
>> "informal" I mean that you don't record your test subjects, track
>> their names or other personal identifiers (like student ID numbers) in
>> a database, etc.
>>
>>
>>  I realize that this may be a sensitive topic for some, so feel free to
>> write me off-list if you prefer.
>>
>>
>>  Thank you,
>>
>> Alec
>>
>>
>>   *Alec Sonsteby, M.S.*
>> Associate Professor and Reference & Instruction Librarian
>>
>>  (O) 651.793.1636
>> (F) 651.793.1615
>> alexander.sonsteby at metrostate.edu
>>
>>  Metropolitan State University
>> 645 East Seventh Street
>> Saint Paul, Minnesota 55106
>>
>>  www.metrostate.edu/library
>> *Like <http://www.facebook.com/metrostatelibrary> us on Facebook!*
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>> 2014-10-20
>>
>
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> 2014-10-22
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2014-10-22
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