Social and Behavioral Research with Undocumented Immigrants: Navigating an IRB Committee

• Published in: Hispanic journal of behavioral sciences Vol. 42; no. 1; pp. 3 - 17
• Main Authors: Jach, Elizabeth, Gloeckner, Gene, Kohashi, Colleen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.02.2020; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Behavioral Science Research; Best Practices; Case studies; Confidentiality; Ethics; Evaluators; Federal Regulation; Noncitizens; Privacy; Qualitative Research; Regulation; Research applications; Research Methodology; Researcher subject relations; Researchers; Review boards; Social Behavior; Social Science Research; Undocumented Immigrants; Vulnerability; higher education; privacy; undocumented immigrants; confidentiality; institutional review boards
• ISSN: 0739-9863; 1552-6364
• DOI: 10.1177/0739986319899979

When conducting human subjects research, social and behavioral researchers seeking to study current issues involving immigrants, refugees, and undocumented students must submit their research to an institutional review board (IRB). Research applications proposing to enroll these populations lie outside the scope of vulnerable populations named in the U.S. Code for Federal Regulations (45 CFR 46). Through a consideration of privacy, confidentiality, flexibility in providing protections, and case study examples, this article examines how researchers and IRBs can negotiate protecting participants who may be undocumented while supporting the advancement of research in the midst of the current, and uncertain, political climate.