IRB Draft 1

Application for the Use of Human Subjects

Part A  Application Information (Only typed applications will be reviewed; submit 2, unstapled copies to ORCA in A-285 ASB) 

1.  Title of the Study: Tibetan Parenting: An Ethnographic Study
2.  Principal Investigator: Julia Merrill		3.  Contact Person: (if different from PI):
Title: Undergraduate	Dept: Family Life	Title:	Dept:
Address (+ ZIP):		Address (+ Zip):
Phone:	Email:	Phone:	Email:
4.  Co-Investigator(s): Carolyn Andrews (mentor) (Name & Affiliation)
5.  Research Originated By:   (Check One)            ~ Faculty             X  ~ Student               ~ Staff
6.  Research Purpose(Check All that Apply):      X  ~ Grant          ~ Dissertation        ~ Thesis                ~ ORCA Scholarship       ~ Honors Thesis    X ~  Course Project: Internship?
7.  Correspondence Request:         ~ Mail          X  ~ Call for Pick-Up

Part B  Research Study Synopsis

1.  Brief Study Description (Include Purpose of the Research): My intention on my field study is to investigate parenting styles in Tibetan families located in McLeod Ganj, India. I specifically intend to learn what Tibetans in this area consider to be good parenting, and how their current exiled situation plays into this. I am also interested in how their religion has an effect on their parenting.

2.  Study Length      What is the duration of the study? 05/2011 – 08/2011

3.  Location of Research    a.  Where will the research take place? McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh, India    b.  Will the PI be conducting and/or supervising research activity off-campus?                             X ~ Yes           ~ No         If Yes, please list sites: McLeod Ganj, India

4.  Subject Information:    a.  Number of Subjects:  20-30     b.  Gender of Subjects: Male and Female   c.  Ages of  Subjects: 4-75

5.  Potentially Vulnerable Populations:   (Check All that Apply)            X ~ Children        ~ Pregnant Women        ~ Cognitively Impaired       ~ Prisoners        ~ Institutionalized        ~  Faculty’s Own Students       ~ Other.  Please describe:

6.  Non-English Speaking Subjects     a.  Will subjects who do not understand English participate in the research:  X  ~ Yes           ~ No            b.  If yes, describe your  resources to communicate with the subjects: I hope to use translators for those who do not understand English    c.  Into what language(s) will the consent form be translated: Tibetan, English

7.  Additional Subject Concerns    a.  Are there cultural attitudes/beliefs that may affect subjects in this study?       ~ Yes        X   ~ No       b.  If yes, please describe attitudes and how they may affect subjects.

8.  Dissemination of Research Findings    a.  Will the research be published?  X ~ Yes           ~ No       If yes, where if known? Not Yet Known    b.  Will the research be presented? X  ~ Yes           ~ No       If yes, where if known? Not Yet Known

9.  External Funding    a.   Are you seeking external funding?    X ~ Yes        ~ No      What agency? Gilman International Scholarship    b.   Have you received funding?    ~ Yes       X ~ No         c.   Dollar amount?

10.  Method of Recruitment:  (Check All that Apply)             ~ Flyer     ~ Classroom Announcement        ~ Letter to Subjects       ~ Third Party      ~ Random       X  ~ Other: Booth located in the Wilkinson’s Center

11.  Payment to Subjects    a.  Will subjects be compensated for participation?   ~ Yes       X ~ No      If yes, please indicate amount:    b.  Form of Payment:   ~ Cash     ~ Check      ~ Gift Certificate      ~ Voucher      ~ 1099     ~ Other        c.  Will Payment be prorated?    ~ Yes        ~ No      If yes, please explain:    d.  When will the subject be paid?     ~ Each Visit        ~ Study Completion      ~ Other

12.  Extra Credit    a.  Will subjects be offered extra credit?     ~ Yes     X ~ No     b.  If yes, describe the alternative:

13.  Risks:  Identify all potential risks/discomforts to subjects. Slight discomfort may be brought on if the subject is not comfortable talking about their parents or their own parenting.

14.  Benefits:    a.  Are there direct benefits to participants?   ~ Yes    X ~ No   If yes, please list.    b.  Are there potential benefits to society?     ~ Yes   X ~ No    If yes, please list.

15.  Study Procedures (DO NOT LEAVE ANY ITEM BLANK):    a.  What will be the duration of the subjects’ participation? The 20-30 subjects will be interviewed or surveyed, taking no longer than an hour.      b.  Will the subjects be followed after their participation ends?  ~ Yes   X ~ No    If yes, please describe: c.     Describe the number, duration and nature of visits/encounters. I will be interviewing 20-30 Tibetan individuals ages 4-80, asking them questions about how they were/are raised and the things they like/liked about their childhood. I will also ask questions that touch on what is important to teach children in general. d.     Is the study   ~ Therapeutic?     X ~ Non-therapeutic? e.     List all procedures that will be performed to generate data for the research. Interviews will be conducted, ranging from informal to formal. Surveys will also be conducted. f.      List all procedures/questionnaires done solely for the purpose of the research study. Informal to formal interviews, and surveys. g.     List all procedures/questionnaires participants already do regardless of research. Interaction during daily life between parent and child.

16.  Informed Consent:    a.  Are you requesting Waiver or Alteration of Informed Consent?  X ~ Yes    ~ No   If yes, please fill out the waiver of informed consent and attach it.    b.  Briefly describe your process to obtain consent: I will be having a conversation with acquaintances made in the community and, either orally (through memorization of the consent form, so as to keep the wording and explanations the same for all subjects) or through the form itself, will obtain consent to use information given by the subject.

17.  Confidentiality:    a.  Are the subject’s social security number, BYU ID number or any identifier (other than study number                   and initials) being sent off site?   ~ Yes   X ~ No   If yes, describe and explain reasons: b.     Will any entity other than the investigative staff have access to medical, health or psychological information about the subject?     ~ Yes   X ~ No    If yes, please indicate who: c.     Briefly describe provisions made to maintain confidentiality of data, including who will have access to raw data, what will be done with the tapes, where data will be stored, how long data will be stored, etc. If audio recording is used, the digital recording device will either be on my person or will be in my bag near my bed while I’m at home, along with written notes. This data will be stored in a file in my desk at home upon return to the states for approximately one year, or until graduation, so I may refer to it at later dates if needed. None other than myself will have access to this data. d.     Will raw data be made available to anyone other than the PI and immediate study personnel?   ~ Yes     X~ No            If yes, describe the procedure for sharing data. Include with whom it will be shared, how and why.

Part C

The attached investigation involves the use of human subjects.  I understand the university’s policy concerning research involving human subjects and I agree:

1. X ~ Yes    ~ No   To obtain voluntary and informed consent of subjects who are to                                                                                                participate in this project.

2. X ~ Yes    ~ No   To report to the IRB any unanticipated effects on subjects which become apparent during the course of, or as a result of, the experimentation and the actions taken.

3. X ~ Yes    ~ No   To cooperate with members of the committee charged with continuing review of this project.

4. X ~ Yes    ~ No   To obtain prior approval from the committee before amending or altering the scope of the project or implementing changes in the approved consent document.

5. X ~ Yes    ~ No   To maintain the documentation of consent forms and progress reports as required by institutional policy.

6. X ~ Yes    ~ No   To safeguard the confidentiality of research subjects and the data collected when the approved level of research requires it.

Signature* of the Principal Investigator:              Julia Merrill                                                            Date:              03/02/2011

*Faculty Sponsor Signature Required for All Student Submissions (will not be processed without this)

“I have read and reviewed this proposal and certify that it is ready for review by the IRB. I have worked with the student to prepare this research protocol. I agree to mentor the student during the research project.”

Faculty Sponsor (Please sign and print):                                                                                     

                                                                                   

Required: Thesis/Dissertation – Date of Approval by the Proposal Review Committee:                                                 

Required: Committee Chair/Faculty Sponsor (Please sign and print):                                                                         

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* If you are faculty submitting by email, please check this box to verify that you are the PI listed on this application and agree to follow the items listed above.   ~   I agree

Only professors can submit applications electronically via email.

Part D  Synopsis of the Proposal

Part D, 1-9, should only be 5 pages or less (not including instruments, consent forms, etc.). Please use 12pt font, page numbers and the headings noted below.

Use everyday language.
This will allow the widest audience, including the IRB members, to understand the purpose of your research, and the procedures you have planned, and any risks or benefits involved.

Protocol Guidelines

IRB committee members, from a wide variety of disciplines, must be able to understand the language used in protocols. Please do not use discipline-specific jargon or acronyms. If you must, please define them. Be clear and concise, and limit the scope of the document to the purpose and background of your research, the procedures you will use to elicit data from your human subjects, risk and benefits, and how you intend to analyze the data to answer your research question. If you are conducting a qualitative research project, please define your methodology clearly.

1.      Specific Aims

2.      Hypothesis

3.      Background and Significance

4.      Description of Subjects

5.      Confidentiality

6.      Method or Procedures

7.      Data Analysis

8.       Risks

9.      Benefits

10. Compensation

11.      References

12. Qualifications

1. Specific Aims

     My intention on my field study is to investigate parenting styles in Tibetan families located in McLeod Ganj, India. I specifically intend to learn what Tibetans in this area consider to be good parenting, and how their current exiled situation plays into this. I am also interested in how their religion has an effect on their parenting. Personally, my intentions are to have a deeper understanding of Tibetan Buddhism, and to become closer to understanding the beliefs and rituals that have such a dramatic affect on Tibetan’s lives and family interactions. If I can understand that, then I can better remove myself from my preconceived notions and have a more successful attempt of seeing the world through these peoples’ eyes. It would be a great way for me to completely immerse myself and be able to observe individuals and families in their natural settings. This way, I can get the cross-cultural research that can be beneficial for me as I pursue my education through graduate school and eventually become a counselor. I want to understand different cultures and be able to tie them to my work, because I will be working in the greatest melting pot here in the United States, as well as possibly proceeding in other international studies. Academically, my field study is non-scientific, in that it will be an ethnographic observational study. The question I would like to answer with this study is “what do Tibetan parents in McLeod Ganj, India consider do be good parenting?” This study will be a good experience and help me further my education in Human Development.

2. Hypothesis

     The Tibetan population in exile have parenting styles strongly influenced by their religion (Tibetan Buddhism) and their current situation, regarding their exiled-state.

3. Background and Significance

     The reason I’m working on this specific project is because I am interested in learning about families that have different beliefs, backgrounds, and culture than what I’m studying here at BYU. I am happy to gain an education here in the states, but I want to take it a step further and explore other systems and communities that are influenced by very different things. So my proposed project deals primarily with interest, rather than any problems or concerns. When it comes to information or history on this specific topic, I haven’t really found much at all. There is a book written towards Western audiences called The Tibetan Art of Parenting: From Before Conception Through Early Childhood by Anne Maiden Brown, Edie Farwell, and Dickey Nyerongsha. This book is really the only thing I’ve found that deals directly with Tibetan parenting. It’s intended to be more of a parenting guide for Western parents who want to incorporate Tibetan parenting traditions into their child rearing. It gives a brief introduction to these practices from a family in Tibet point of view, rather than from that of a Tibetan family in exile. It aims to give a traditional perspective on Tibetan parenting in order to give those who didn’t grow up or raise children in Tibet an opportunity to learn more and incorporate more of these traditions. However, I feel as if this may set a limit on the information that’s applicable to my project, because I want to learn more about how being in exile has changed the parenting styles; how practices have changed in order to preserve tradition.

4. Description of Subjects

     The subjects I am interested in are Tibetan children, adolescents, and adults, ages 4-80.

5. Confidentiality

     All information and data obtained on the study will not include any personal or identifying information about the subjects. They will be aware of this and will have given consent prior to my writing anything down to use for my project.

6. Methodology/Procedures

     My plan to enter into the community and gain rapport is to live with a host family and begin to volunteer in the community to make friends and acquaintances. The specific group I would like to learn from and use to answer my project question is Tibetan families in exile; this includes children, parents, and grandparents, possibly even extended family. I want to get information from all perspectives.  In order to accomplish my study on Tibetan parenting, I will be conducting interviews that range from unstructured to structured. I will also conduct surveys in which I will be gathering information from Tibetans of almost all ages. I would like to interview 7 children ages 4-12, 4 adolescents ages 12-18, 4 young adults ages 19-30, 7 middle-aged adults from 31-50, and 4 older generation adults ages 51-80. The reason there are more middle-aged and children interviewees is because those are the age groups that are most likely either parenting or being parented at the present. The following is my approach to prepare and conduct my studies for my project:

∙ library research

∙ in primary documents

∙ in books and periodicals

∙ interview schedule

∙ develop interview questions

∙ identify participants

∙ observations or site visits

∙ note taking

∙ textual analysis

∙ prepare written report

Some sample questions I would ask adults are things such as:

·      How should a child act?

·      What’s an important thing to teach your children?

·      What should a parent do if they’re child is being good?

·      What should a parent do if they’re child is being bad (disobedient)?

·      Etc

Some sample questions I could ask children/adolescents are:

·      What kinds of things do your parents like to teach you?

·      What are the things your parents teach you that you like to learn?

·      What do you do with your parents for fun?

·      Etc

7. Data Analysis

     During the final two weeks, and upon return from my study, I will gather my data and analyze it, trying to draw a conclusion and find any common parenting styles that can be tied to this specific culture.

8. Risks

      Slight discomfort may be brought on if the subject is not comfortable talking about their parents or their own parenting.

9. Benefits

     There are no direct benefits to individuals from this project.

10. Compensation

     There is not compensation to subjects for this project.

11. References

     TBA

12. Qualifications

     I am a young student and not far into my newly-switched major. However, I have taken a parenting class that studied parenting styles and outcomes, and received an A-. I am currently taking a Family Processes class, in which we study families, their development, and interactions. I am also taking a methods (Critical Inquiry and Research Methods) class, a field study preparation class, a Tibetan language class, and a statistics class. These classes qualify me to carry out this study properly and efficiently, and my parenting class will help me interpret my findings

     

I still need to meet with a mentor and discuss any other things I will need and research the cost of those things.    

Include the following information as necessary in the appropriate appendix.

Appendix E – Consent Document or Request for a Waiver and/or Alteration of Informed Consent

Appendix F – Questionnaires, Surveys, Instruments, Interview questions, etc.

Appendix G – Tutorial Certificate

Appendix H – All other supporting documents such as letters of support from other institutions or universities, grant applications, vitae, etc.