P.H.R.R.C.

Biola University is concerned with the protection of the rights and welfare of human participants in all qualified research. The primary purpose of the Protection of Human Rights in Research Committee (PHRRC) is to protect research participants from unintended harm, especially in the areas of confidentiality and informed consent. The secondary goal is to assist faculty, staff, administrative personnel, student researchers in avoiding errors or oversights that can result in justifiable actions, including lawsuits, against the university.

The PHRRC is to ensure:

  1. The protection of the rights of all human participants involved in qualified (i.e., beyond routine class assignments) research projects carried out by Biola faculty, staff and students.
  2. That research conducted by Biola faculty, staff and students meets the standards required by governmental agencies.

Consequently, all qualified research must go through the university's PHRRC. The attached forms should be carefully filled out and submitted to administrative staff at Rosemead School of Psychology. Research proposals are generally processed within two weeks of submission. However, the researchers should leave additional time for unanticipated delays or for the review of requested changes to the protocol.

Questions about the ethics of your research project that aren't addressed in the PHRRC Guidelines? Here are a few of the most widely used ethics codes for research:

The Belmont Report was created by the National Institutes of Health in 1979, and summarizes the "basic ethicalprinciples and guidelines that should assist in resolving the ethical problems that surround the conduct of research with human subjects" (p. 1, The Belmont Report). The APA's Code of Ethics is referenced by many disciplines, and is called by the authors of the Belmont Report, "the best known" code.

Here are some examples of the types of research that are required to seek approval from the PHRRC:

  • Surveys conducted by any university department on student satisfaction
  • Research conducted by graduate students on Biola students, staff or faculty for dissertation
  • Research conducted by faculty members on Biola students, staff or faculty
  • Academic departments surveying students for purposes of program review
  • Departments conducting focus groups for Biola students, staff or faculty feedback
  • Research by outside persons or agencies on Biola students, staff, or faculty
  • Research by administrators to assess student or faculty attitudes or needs

Research conducted as part of a class assignment does not require PHRRC approval.

Members of the PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN RESEARCH COMMITTEE

  • Brad Christerson
  • Klaus Issler
  • Anne Gewe
  • Yvana Hernandez
  • John Williams (Co-Chair)
  • Elizabeth Hall (Co-Chair)
  • Peggy Burke
  • Kevin Pittle