Mollie is a narrative researcher at the university. She is conducting her research on the volunteer experiences of those involved in programs such as Teach for America. Her dissertation chair, Ruth, asked her about the status of her human subjects review. Mollie was surprised because she had not intended to submit a protocol for human subjects review. Given this scenario, what can be said about the ethical standards in Mollie's study?
A) Mollie does not need informed consent. She is only interviewing participants.
B) Mollie needs to submit a protocol for review but her study will be an exempt study because everyone involved is an adult.
C) Mollie will need to submit a protocol for review and her study will likely involve a Category I review.
D) Mollie will need to submit a protocol for review and her study will likely involve a Category II review.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mollie will need to submit a protocol for review and her study will likely involve a Category I review. As her research involves human participants, even if they are adults and she is only conducting interviews, Mollie is ethically required to submit a protocol for human subjects review to ensure that her study meets ethical standards for participant protection. The fact that she had not planned to submit a protocol is concerning and highlights the importance of proper training and education on ethical research practices. A Category I review is likely because her study poses minimal risk to participants, given the nature of the study as narrative research on volunteer experiences.

Mollie Is a Narrative Researcher at the University