What Is an IRB and Does Your High School Study Need One

This post answers what an Institutional Review Board (IRB) is, why it exists, and whether your high school research project legally and ethically requires IRB approval before you begin collecting data. It is written for high school students in grades 9 through 12 who are conducting or planning original research involving human participants. After reading, you will know exactly how to assess your own study and what steps to take. If your research is complete and ready for peer review, the Princeton Journal of Pre-Collegiate Research publishes original student work across all disciplines.

Introduction

The single most common reason a high school research paper involving human participants gets rejected at the desk-review stage is missing or inadequate ethics documentation. Reviewers at credible journals do not overlook this. If your study collected data from people, including surveys, interviews, or observations, and you have no record of ethical oversight, your paper is unlikely to advance past initial screening regardless of how strong the findings are. Understanding what an IRB is and whether your high school study needs one is not a bureaucratic formality. It is a core part of what makes your research valid and publishable.

What is an IRB and does your high school study need one?

An Institutional Review Board (IRB) is an independent committee that reviews research involving human participants to ensure it meets ethical standards, including informed consent, privacy protection, and risk minimisation. In the United States, federal regulations under 45 CFR 46 (the Common Rule) require IRB review for research conducted at institutions receiving federal funding. Most high school students are not at federally funded institutions, but many journals, science fairs, and university partners still require documented ethical oversight before accepting or evaluating your work.

Whether your high school study requires formal IRB approval depends on three factors: where you are conducting the research, who your participants are, and how you are collecting data.

If you are conducting research through a university lab, hospital, or any institution that holds a federal assurance agreement, your work almost certainly falls under that institution's IRB jurisdiction. In that case, your faculty supervisor or university mentor will initiate the review process. You do not do this alone.

If you are conducting independent research entirely outside a federally funded institution, you are not legally required to obtain IRB approval under U.S. federal law. However, you are still ethically obligated to follow the principles that IRBs enforce. The Belmont Report, published in 1979 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, established three core principles for all human subjects research: respect for persons (informed consent), beneficence (do no harm), and justice (fair selection of participants). These principles apply to your study whether or not a formal IRB reviews it.

For independent high school researchers, the practical answer is this: if your study involves human participants, you should document your ethical procedures even if no formal IRB is required. That documentation should include a written consent form signed by participants (and by a parent or guardian if participants are under 18), a description of how you protected participant privacy, and a statement of how you minimised any risk of harm. Many science fair competitions, including the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), require this documentation regardless of whether a formal IRB was involved. ISEF's Scientific Review Committee process specifically evaluates human subjects research for ethical compliance before a project is eligible to compete.

If you are unsure whether your study requires formal IRB review, contact the institution where the research is being conducted. If you are working independently, consult your school's science fair coordinator or a faculty advisor. When in doubt, document everything.

What types of high school research actually require ethical review?

Not every study involving people triggers the same level of scrutiny. Understanding the categories helps you assess your own project accurately.

Research that almost always requires formal IRB review or equivalent ethical oversight includes: studies that collect identifiable personal data (names, addresses, medical histories), research involving minors as participants, studies that involve any physical intervention or biological samples, and research that could expose participants to psychological stress or social risk. If your study involves any of these elements and you are working within a university or hospital setting, do not begin data collection until IRB approval is confirmed in writing.

Research that is typically exempt from formal IRB review under 45 CFR 46.104 includes: anonymous surveys on non-sensitive topics, observation of public behaviour in public spaces where individuals cannot be identified, and analysis of existing publicly available datasets. Exempt does not mean unreviewed. It means the research meets specific criteria that allow it to proceed with minimal oversight. Even exempt research should be documented as such, with a written record of why the exemption applies.

The category that causes the most confusion for high school researchers is survey-based research. If you are surveying your classmates about study habits, screen time, or dietary preferences, your study may qualify as exempt. If you are surveying participants about mental health, substance use, trauma, or any topic that could cause distress or expose sensitive personal information, it does not qualify as exempt and requires full review. The content of the survey, not just its format, determines the level of oversight required.

Reviewing the how to design a survey for a research study guide before you build your instrument will help you anticipate these questions early, before data collection begins.

What are the most common IRB mistakes high school researchers make?

The four mistakes below account for the majority of ethics-related problems in high school research papers submitted to academic journals and science competitions.

The first mistake is beginning data collection before obtaining any form of ethical clearance. Students assume that because they are not affiliated with a university, no oversight is required. The consequence is that data collected without documented consent cannot be published in most credible venues. The fix is to complete your ethics documentation, including consent forms and a written description of your procedures, before you approach a single participant.

The second mistake is using verbal consent instead of written consent. Verbal consent is not verifiable after the fact. Journals and competitions require written documentation. The fix is a one-page consent form that describes the study, confirms participation is voluntary, and is signed by the participant and, where required, their parent or guardian.

The third mistake is assuming that anonymising data after collection resolves earlier consent failures. It does not. The ethical obligation is to inform participants of how their data will be used before they provide it, not after. Retroactive anonymisation does not substitute for prospective consent.

The fourth mistake is failing to report ethical procedures in the methods section of the paper. Even if your ethics documentation is complete, reviewers cannot verify it if you do not describe it. Your methods section should state clearly: how participants were recruited, what consent process was used, how data was stored and protected, and whether the study was reviewed by an IRB or determined to be exempt. For guidance on what a complete methods section looks like, the how to submit a research paper as a high school student guide covers this in detail.

How to assess and document your study's ethics requirements, step by step

1. Determine whether your study involves human participants. If you are collecting data directly from people, including surveys, interviews, observations, or biological samples, the answer is yes. If you are analysing existing public datasets with no identifiable information, proceed to step 2 to confirm exempt status.

2. Identify the institution where the research is taking place. If it is a university, hospital, or any federally funded institution, contact the IRB office directly. Do not begin data collection until you have written confirmation of approval or exempt determination.

3. Assess whether your study qualifies as exempt. Use the criteria in 45 CFR 46.104 as your reference. Anonymous surveys on non-sensitive topics are typically exempt. Research involving sensitive topics, minors, or identifiable data is not.

4. Prepare your consent documentation. Write a plain-language consent form that describes the study purpose, what participation involves, how data will be stored, and that participation is voluntary. Obtain signatures before any data is collected.

5. Document your ethics process in writing. Keep a record of when consent was obtained, how data is stored, and who reviewed your procedures. This record belongs in your research file and should be referenced in your paper's methods section.

6. Include ethics disclosure in your manuscript. State in the methods section whether your study received IRB approval, was determined exempt, or was conducted under independent ethical review with documented consent procedures.

7. Submit your research to PJPCR. Once your work is complete and your ethics documentation is in order, review the what happens after you submit your research paper guide, then submit through the submission guidelines at princeton-jpcr.org.

PJPCR publishes original research across all academic disciplines, including studies involving human participants. If your work is ready for peer review and your ethics documentation is complete, review the submission guidelines at princeton-jpcr.org.

Frequently asked questions about IRBs and high school research

What is an IRB in simple terms?

An IRB (Institutional Review Board) is an independent committee that reviews research involving human participants before the study begins. Its job is to confirm that participants are protected from harm, that consent is properly obtained, and that the research meets established ethical standards. In the U.S., IRBs operate under federal regulations codified in 45 CFR 46, known as the Common Rule.

How long does IRB approval take for a high school student?

If you are working through a university or hospital, IRB review typically takes 4 to 8 weeks for full review and 1 to 2 weeks for expedited or exempt determinations. If you are conducting independent research and preparing your own ethics documentation, the process depends on how quickly you draft and obtain signed consent forms. Build at least two to four weeks into your project timeline before data collection begins. PJPCR's standard review timeline is 2 to 3 months from submission to decision, and a fast-track option is available for students who need a quicker turnaround.

Do I need an IRB if I am just doing a survey for my high school research project?

Not necessarily, but you do need documented ethical procedures regardless. Anonymous surveys on non-sensitive topics often qualify as exempt from formal IRB review under U.S. federal regulations. However, if your survey covers mental health, substance use, personal trauma, or any topic that could cause distress, formal review is required. Even for exempt surveys, you should document the exemption rationale and obtain participant consent in writing before distributing the survey.

What makes a high school research paper involving human participants publishable?

A publishable paper involving human participants demonstrates that ethical procedures were followed before data collection began, not retrofitted afterward. Reviewers look for a clear consent process, a description of how participant privacy was protected, and a statement of whether the study received IRB approval or was determined exempt. Research that cannot demonstrate prospective ethical oversight is typically rejected at the desk-review stage, regardless of the quality of the findings. For guidance on what reviewers assess, see the what makes a research paper get rejected guide.

What kinds of research involving human participants does PJPCR publish?

PJPCR publishes original peer-reviewed research across all academic disciplines, including studies in psychology, public health, sociology, education, and any other field that may involve human participants. Submitted papers must describe ethical procedures in the methods section. Peer review at PJPCR is conducted by qualified reviewers, and submission is free. A publication fee applies for accepted papers. Review the full submission guidelines at what is peer review in high school journals and at princeton-jpcr.org.

What to take away from this

IRB review exists to protect participants, not to create obstacles for researchers. Whether or not your study requires formal IRB approval, the ethical obligations are the same: obtain informed consent before collecting data, protect participant privacy, minimise risk, and document everything. These are not optional steps for high school researchers who want their work taken seriously. They are the baseline.

If your study involves human participants and you have not yet addressed ethics documentation, do that before anything else. If your documentation is complete and your research is ready for peer review, submit it to PJPCR at princeton-jpcr.org.