APPENDIX 5: DEFINITIONS
Action Research – Research conducted for the purpose of informing or improving professional practices of
the research practitioner. The research question is limited to the specific practices of the action researcher.
The research findings are of interest and directly applicable to the practitioner.
Cooperative Research—Research that is conducted by two institutions covered by 34 CFR. For CCSD,
this will typically be the District and a University, but may also be any other entity covered by the
regulations.
Exempt Research—Research that, according to ED, does not need to meet the requirements of the human
subjects regulations established by ED. According to 34 CFR 97.101 (b), “Research activities in which the
only involvement of human subjects will be in one or more of the following categories are exempt:
(1) Research conducted in established or commonly accepted educational settings, involving
normal educational practices, such as (a) research on regular and special education
instructional strategies, or (b) research on the effectives of or the comparison among
instructional techniques, curricula, or classroom management methods.
(2) Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude,
achievement), survey procedures, interview procedures or observation of public behavior,
unless:
i. Information obtained is recorded in such a manner that human subjects can be
identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects; and
ii. Any disclosure of the human subjects’ responses outside the research could
reasonably place the subjects at risk of criminal or civil liability or be damaging to
the subjects’ financial standing, employability, or reputation.
(3) Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude,
achievement), survey procedures, interview procedures, or observation of public behavior
that is not exempt under paragraph (b)(2) of this section, if:
i. The human subjects are elected or appointed public officials or candidates for
public office; or
ii. Federal statute(s) require(s) without exception that the confidentiality of the
personally identifiable information will be maintained throughout the research and
thereafter.
(4) Research, involving the collection or study of existing data, documents, records,
pathological specimens, or diagnostic specimens, if these sources are publicly available
or if the information is recorded by the investigator in such a manner that subjects cannot
be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects.
(5) Research and demonstration projects which are conducted by or subject to the approval
of department or agency heads, and which are designed to study, evaluate, or otherwise
examine:
i. Public benefit or service programs;
ii. Procedures for obtaining benefits or services under those programs;
iii. Possible changes in or alternatives to those programs or procedures; or
iv. Possible changes in methods or levels of payment for benefits or services under
those programs.
(6) Taste and food quality evaluation and consumer acceptance studies,
i. If wholesome foods without additives are consumed or
ii. If a food is consumed that contains a food ingredient at or below the level and for
a use found to be safe, or agricultural chemical or environmental contaminant at or
below the level found to be safe, by the Food and Drug Administration or approved
by the Environmental Protection Agency or the Food Safety and Inspection
Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Human Subject—Ed defines human subject as “…a living individual about whom an investigator (whether
professional or student) conducting research obtains data through intervention or interaction with the
individual or obtains identifiable private information.”
(http://www.ed.gov/policy/fund/reg/humansub/part97-2.html#97.102)
Institutional Review Board (IRB)—An internal, organizational mechanism charged with reviewing all
proposed research to be conducted in the educational organization. ED states that the function of the IRB
is to “…approve, request modification in, or disapprove research activities [ 34 CFR 97.109 (a) ] and to
conduct continuing reviews of the research activities at intervals appropriate to the degree of risk, but not
less than once a year [ 34 CFR 97.109 (e) ].”
(http://www.ed.gov/policy/fund/reg/humansub/part97-2.html#97.102)
Research—For the purposes of process being addressed herein, the definition set forth in the regulations
ED governing the protection of human subjects is used. That is, research is “a systematic investigation,
including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable
knowledge.” [34 CFR 97.102 (d)] According to ED, “if an activity follows a deliberate plan whose purpose
is to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge, such as an exploratory study or the collection of
data to test a hypothesis, it is research.” (http://www.ed.gov/policy/fund/reg/humansub/part972.html#97.102) The regulations do not distinguish between research and evaluation. Rather, they treat
both as research. The Review Process will do the same.
Research Review Committee—The body established and managed by CCSD Department of Research to
conduct the reviews prescribed in the Review Process. The committee shall serve as the screening
committee to determine which requests must comply with the Regulations and which are exempt.
Sponsored Research—Proposed research work that a District administrator of a department or division
considers important for that unit or for the District and that he/she wants to have performed within the
District.
Unsponsored Research—Proposed research work that has not been deemed of special interest by a
CCSD division or department administrator.
APPENDIX 6: REFERENCES
Mills, G.E. (2003). Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Education, Inc.
United States Department of Education. Information About the Protection of Human Subjects in Research
Sponsored by the Department of Education—Overview. Retrieved November 24, 2003 from
http://www.ed.gov/policy/fund/guid/humansub/overview/html
United States Department of Education. Code of Federal Regulations Title 34
Department of Education PART 97 - Protection of Human Subjects. Retrieved November 24, 2003 from
http://www.ed.gov/policy/fund/reg/humansub/97.101.
United States Department of Education. Excerpts from 34 CFR 350 and 34 CFR 356, Retrieved November 24,
2003 from http://www.ed.gov/policy/fund/reg/humansub/34cfr350.html).
United States Department of Health and Human Services: National Institutes of Health. Human Participant
Protections Education for Research Teams. Retrieved December 8, 2003 from
http://cme.cancer.gov/c01/.