International research or research across borders may make researchers feel excited about the possibility of travel and research across borders, however, research of this nature presents challenges as cultural appropriateness, local adjustments, and rules and norms of the travel must be considered when developing a research study.
“Research Across Borders” is a blog series that builds from Jonthon Coulson’s Research Writing & Ethics intern work and guides created in collaboration with Office of Global Engagement and Office of Risk Management to prepare new researchers for research across borders including logistics and practical considerations when developing a research study across borders in international settings.
The second post in this blog series, titled, “Preparing For International Research and Travel” prepares international researchers for IRB protocol submission including additional documentation from the research site.
IRB Considerations for International Research
Researchers must obtain IRB approval or a local context review by an Ethics Committee at a host site. International research IRB protocols should identify whether a local IRB, ethics committee, or government entity will review the study within the host country and how that review may align with standards set by the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP).
Part of this local context review should alert the TC IRB office to possible cultural norms or practices that may strain U.S. federal guidelines. For example, in the U.S., researchers will ask an adult participant to sign a consent form prior to engaging in study activities. However, in settings where such paperwork is considered too formal, the researcher may propose other alternatives that ensure respect for a person, beneficence, and justice while also remaining aligned with cultural practice at that site. A local context review provides important information that the TC IRB needs in order to ensure whether or not a researcher needs to modify their protocol for local context considerations.
The Teachers College Institutional Review Board (TC IRB) Office is looking for international researchers to be able to describe anticipated cultural norms of conducting their research in a foreign country and how they intend to overcome these cultural barriers. The researchers should also demonstrate their familiarity with local customs, cultures and religious norms in the country where the research site is located. The TC IRB recommends researchers to either study or conduct research at the research site, communicate with local specialists, or engage with use of cultural training methods prior to travel.
After the English versions of participant materials have been approved by the IRB,researchers will be asked to include appropriate documentation of prepared translated participant materials in the preferred language of the research population and a signed Translation Verification Form. The Translation Verification Form is not required for an IRB review, however, in some cases, the researcher may request an expert in the culture of the research population to translate study documents. Researchers must submit translated materials to TC IRB if their participants speak languages other than English. Consult the following resources, Translating Consent Forms, Writing for an IRB Review, TC IRB Submission Document Templates & Samples, and International Research, to prepare for IRB protocol submission.
TC IRB also requires researchers to upload documented proof that they have met the requirements to declare travel for research purposes with the Office of Risk Management and the Office of Global Engagement. The final blog will go more in-depth on the institution’s preparation to protect researchers from risks when conducting research abroad.