Internet Recruitment and Advertising

The IRB has revised the Recruitment Methods and Advertisements document in the Investigator Guidance Series to include guidance on internet advertising. This document may be accessed using the following link: (www.research.utah.edu/irb/guidelines/pdf/IGS/IGS-Advertisements.pdf)

The following information has been added to the guidance:

Internet Advertising

Advertisements posted on the internet must adhere to the advertising guidelines. All advertisements must be approved by the IRB prior to posting. The researcher may submit the advertisement text to the IRB as a document for approval. The intended internet sites where the advertisements will be posted must be described in the recruitment methods section of the IRB application or protocol.

Researchers may use the Internet as a forum for disseminating study information to participants. The use of websites, blogs, internet forums, and social networking sites for the dissemination of study information must be described in the recruitment methods section of the IRB application or protocol. The IRB requires the following statement to be posted on internet sites used for this purpose:

The information posted on this site is consistent with the research reviewed and approved by the University of Utah Institutional Review Board (IRB). However, the IRB has not reviewed all material posted on this site. Contact the IRB if you have questions regarding your rights as a research participant. Also contact the IRB if you have questions, complaint, or concerns which you do not feel you can discuss with the investigator. The University of Utah IRB may be reached by phone at (801) 581-3655 or by e-mail at irb@hsc.utah.edu.