Ralph and Norton go to lunch?

MISS MANNERS of research activities


Miss Manners: 
My university has a very strict policy with regard to
doing research. Among other things, one part specifies that
"information which is collected through intervention or interaction
with a living individual" must undergo an ethics panel review.

My question is this, if I want to ask my office mate to go to lunch
with me, do I need to file an ethics form, and if so how far ahead
must I plan to allow the IRB to render a decision?


Gentle Reader: 
No right thinking person would consider doing the wrong
thing, so Miss Manners encourages you to file a proposal (in
triplicate) for all such transactions, after all the IRB made the
rules and they need to see you take them seriously in a civil
society. 

As to how far ahead to plan, Dominos promises 30-minutes delivery or
its free, I don't see why your IRB needs any longer than that. Just
remember that your call to Dominos is an interaction too, and requires
a separate form (in triplicate). 

When in doubt, file that form -- like safe sex, you just can't be too
careful. Remember, the delivery person may be an IRB spy sent to see
if you have approval for delivery.