Lesson Report:
## Lesson Report for College Class – IRB and Variables
### Title:
**Research Ethics and Hypothesis Building: IRB Considerations and Variables in Research Questions**
**Synopsis**:
In this session, students revisited research questions with a focus on determining if Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval would be necessary for their projects. The class also concentrated on building hypotheses by identifying independent and dependent variables. The discussion progressed into an introduction of the four types of variables and an overview of how to construct relationships between them. Students had opportunities to practice identifying independent, dependent, intervening, and antecedent variables, followed by peer-sharing of their own research questions and feedback on their variable choices.
### Attendance:
**Mentioned Absent**:
1. Asel (late attendance but eventually present)
2. Farhunda (marked absent due to no camera)
### Topics Covered:
**1. Recap of Last Lesson: IRB Requirements Discussion**
– The lesson began with a quick review of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process, focusing on determining whether students’ research projects needed expedited, full-board, or no IRB review.
– Students were asked to explain whether their research involved sensitive topics, public data, or interviews. This determined whether they required IRB approval.
– Tom: Using publicly available data, no IRB needed, but advised to confirm with supervisor.
– Amira: Working with mixed public and non-public data, advised to assess IRB needs with checklist and discuss with supervisor; may need expedited IRB.
– Tuba: Working with victims of human rights violations in a sensitive area, likely needing full-board IRB.
– Bir: Using content analysis and economic models, likely no IRB needed.
– Emir Bek: Conducting political interviews with professors, likely needing expedited IRB.
– Asel: Using surveys and expert interviews in Kyrgyzstan; most likely needing expedited IRB.
– Rashad: No sensitive data, no human interviews, will not need IRB.
**2. Variable Identification: Lecture and Practice**
– Students were introduced to the foundational elements of hypothesis building: distinguishing between independent and dependent variables.
– **Independent Variable (IV)**: The factor believed to influence some change (input).
– **Dependent Variable (DV)**: The factor that changes as a result (outcome).
– **Intervening and Antecedent Variables** were mentioned as additional variables to consider for more complex studies, while the main focus remained on IV-DV relations.
**3. Examples to Clarify Variables**
– The professor provided real-world research examples for students to practice identifying IV and DV within different contexts:
– “How does economic inequality impact voter turnout?â€�
– IV: Economic inequality
– DV: Voter turnout
– “Do higher levels of education lead to greater support for democratic values?â€�
– IV: Education level
– DV: Support for democratic values
– Students were tasked with recognizing IV and DV in their own research questions and presenting them for constructive feedback.
**4. Analyzing Student Research Questions to Identify Variables**
– Each student presented their current research question for assistance in identifying variables.
– **Tuba**: Independent Variable (IV) – Levels of human rights violations; Dependent Variable (DV) – Regional security risks.
– **Amira**: Working on identifying solid IV and DV; needs additional research.
– **Hamdam**: IV – Taliban trade policies; DV: Trade relations with Central Asia.
– **Asel**: IV – Public diplomacy by Russia and China; DV – Perception of China and Russia in Kyrgyzstan.
– **Sabir**: IV – Economic deprivation and religious oppression; DV – Radicalization in Tajikistan.
– **Rashad**: IV – Economic insecurity; DV – Psychological preferences for authoritarian leaders.
– Many students were advised to continue refining their questions to ensure clarity around the relationship they are trying to observe.
### Actionable Items:
**General (Due Before Next Session):**
– **Submission of Supervisor Agreement Form**:
– Ensure all students have submitted forms. Strict deadline enforced as graduation requires this process. Missing and incomplete forms will result in project cancellation.
– **Completing Week 4 Homework: Analyzing Relevance**
– Students must upload their assignments on e-course.
– Assignment: Students to analyze one scholarly article relevant to their research question, focusing on its theoretical, empirical, and practical contributions.
– Only two students submitted homework; rest were reminded of importance in terms of class participation and progress.
**Individual Student Follow-ups:**
– **Amira**: Research global factors affecting vaccination rates to prep for a more defined independent variable and dependent variable for the research.
– **Hamdam**: Refine question to clearly state the independent variable (e.g., specific Taliban trade policies) and dependent variable (e.g., economic outcomes or trade balance with Central Asian countries).
– **Asel**: Clarify effects of Russian/Chinese public diplomacy on specific metrics (ideally public opinion or political alignment in Kyrgyzstan) to finalize dependent variable.
– **Sabir**: Determine which variable will be the independent variable: start from economic poverty as IV and explore if religious oppression can be an intervening variable.
Homework Instructions:
NO HOMEWORK
No homework was mentioned or assigned during the lesson. The entirety of the class is focused on reviewing students’ research questions, helping them determine their need for Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, and discussing components like variables and hypothesis building, with no directive for homework.