Procedures for Conducting Research Virtually

There are times when faculty and/or students decide to conduct their research remotely using virtual communication platforms. This means the researcher(s) may obtain consent forms, collect data, and administer other aspects of the study using video conferencing platforms such as Zoom™ or remote data collection tools such as Google Forms™. These technological tools can be useful and efficient for data collection; however, they do come with risks as study participants’ privacy and confidentiality may not be fully protected. 

With the help of Dr. Lisa Furman and faculty from the Psychology and Education departments, the Albertus Magnus College IRB have developed guidelines that can help ensure the safety, privacy and confidentiality of study participants while conducting research through virtual platforms.

Protocol for Conducting Virtual Research

The protocol is broken down into three main areas of conducting virtual research: (1) research measures and consent forms; (2) delivery and handling of data; and (3) safety of participants. When submitting an IRB application, we ask that you consider the following as your IRB application may not be accepted if adequate protocols are not in place to protect participant identity and safety in online research. 

This section includes guidelines for virtual research tools used to obtain data (e.g., surveys, interview protocol, etc.) and the virtual consent forms from study participants that allow researcher(s) to collect data from those specific participants.

  • Consent forms should be converted to a fillable PDF.
  • Participants can sign these documents using Adobe Reader DC (™). which will allow you (and participants) to view, print, sign, and annotate PDF files. You can obtain the free version of Adobe Reader DC
  • To create a fillable PDF, you will need to use Adobe Acrobat DC (™) which is loaded on all AMC computers. Detailed instructions are below.
  • Password protect the PDF-converted research measures and consent forms.
  • In your IRB application, please indicate if research measures will be administered online.
    • If research measures will be administered online, please identify which ones will be in this format.
    • Describe how research measures’ reliability and validity will be best maintained once transferred to an online format.
      1. The online measure should look similar to the paper version, taking care to replicate the visual format as close as possible. For example, if the paper version uses check boxes, then try to make the online version look similar. If the paper version has Likert-type scales, make the online version in a similar format.
      2. Testing conditions should best simulate how they would occur in person, such as in a quiet space with little if any distractions, without use of phones and/or other means that could influence participants’ completion of the research measures.
      3. When creating measures in an online format, be sure that participants have the ability to skip or not answer questions just as they might on a paper format of the measure. Note: The default setting for Google Forms™ does not allow participants to skip questions. Make sure this feature is turned off).

This section includes guidelines for the ways in which participants’ information and data is transmitted between study participants and researcher(s).

  • Please clearly identify all of the virtual platforms you will use for handling and delivering data.
  • If you decide to use Google Suite™ to handle and deliver data, make sure you are logged into Google™ with your Albertus account. The College has a Business Administration Agreement (BAA) with Google™ that makes some of the products (such as Google Forms) IRB compliant by disabling the participant IP address. If you create a Google Forms through an outside account (i.e., your personal Gmail account rather than your Albertus email account), the online form will not be IRB compliant. Additionally, do NOT use Survey Monkey™ as it is not IRB compliant without additional protocols.
  • For virtual meetings or data collection, you may use Google Meets™ to conduct any aspect of your study that would include participants’ identifiable information as long as you use your Albertus account. WIth approval from your advisor, program director, or department chair, you may also use a PAID version of Zoom™ to conduct any aspect of your study that would include participants’ identifiable information (e.g., data collection). Note: Speak with the faculty research advisor about reimbursement for Zoom™ cost before using this option.
  • Virtual consent forms for participants should be transmitted separate from research measures to ensure that participant identity remains separate from their data. For example, first send consent forms ONLY. Once you receive the signed consent form back from participant(s), then transmit the research measures. This way, participants are not transmitting consents and measures back at the same time, keeping their responses anonymous.
    • Note: Based on individual study designs, researchers should consult with their advisors to determine the best procedure for maintaining anonymity of participant responses when transmitted virtually. For example, the researcher can assign ID numbers or pseudonyms to virtually transmitted participant data in a variety of ways: in the file name, in the content of the survey or measure, or when it is received. In this way, the researcher can determine an approach for de-identification or anonymization of data that is best suited to the research design. Remember, when using an ID key that corresponds with demographic and identifying information, the key must be stored separate from raw data.
  • De-identified or anonymized data can only be uploaded to Google Drive™.
    • The College has signed a BAA with Google™ making Google Drive IRB compliant when accessed through an AMC account. Researchers may NOT store any data on any other cloud based platforms (e.g., Microsoft365™ , iCloud™, etc.) unless IRB compliance is demonstrated.
    • De-identified data should not be stored for any extended period on Google Drive™. Once data collection is complete, all raw data should be transferred from Google Drive™ to an external drive that is password protected as soon as you receive the data. The drive should be secured in a locked drawer when not in use. No data should be stored on laptops or desktop computers.

This section describes how researchers can ensure the safety of study participants when collecting data online.

  • Working with minors: The IRB application must indicate that all study participants under the age of 18 will fill out the following Emergency Contact Form. A copy of the form must be included with the IRB application. The form directs parent(s) and/or adult guardian(s) to stay within close proximity of study participants, but not close enough that they create a distraction that might ultimately affect the validity of the data collection process. The form also asks for participant’s physical address and phone number at the time of data collection in case the researcher encounters an unanticipated situation whereby emergency services need to be directed to the participant’s location. This emergency contact form will ONLY be used for the duration of data collection and will be destroyed immediately after the completion of data collection. This process ensures that adequate procedures are in place for a minor participant's safety during remote data collection.
  • Working with people with cognitive and physical disabilities: Please consider having all research participants with cognitive and physical disabilities, regardless of age, fill out an Emergency Contact Form. To determine the seriousness of participants’ disabilities, please use the definition set by the National Institute of Health.

    Notice: Having either a psychiatric disorder (e.g. psychosis, neurosis, personality or behavior disorders) an organic impairment (e.g. dementia) or a development disorder (e.g. mental retardation) that affects cognitive or emotional functions to the extent that capacity for judgment and reasoning is significantly diminished. Others, including persons under the influence of or dependent on drugs or alcohol, those suffering from degenerative diseases affecting the brain, terminally ill patients, and persons with severely disabling physical handicaps, may also be compromised in their ability to make decisions in their best interests (National Institutes of Health, 2006).