Research Ethics

Guidelines and Regulations

Application Procedures

Research and surveys involving human subjects conducted by faculty, staff, or graduate students of Soka University, as well as research and surveys conducted by external researchers involving members of Soka University, must undergo review by the Soka University Institutional Review Board (IRB) for Studies Involving Human Subjects, in accordance with the regulations.
*Please note that starting with applications for the October 2024 review, paper-based submissions will no longer be accepted, and all application documents must be submitted online. For details, please refer to the IRB Application Procedure Manual below. 

The application procedure is as follows:

STEP①　Check your eligibility for IRB review

You can check whether an application is required and the application procedure via the link below. Submission of this form is not necessary.

STEP②　Download of Latest Application Forms and Preparation of Submission Documents

Please download the latest application forms from the link below and prepare the necessary documents before the submission deadline.

STEP③　Upload all application documents in PDF format to the IRB Application Submission Form (Online)

Please access the IRB online application form via the link below and upload all application documents in PDF format.
*Application documents: Application form (F01), Explanation and Consent Form for Research Participants (F02), Interview Questions, Survey Questions, Letter of Approval from Research Institutions, etc.
*Starting with applications in October 2024, paper-based submissions are no longer required.

• Logging into a Google account is required.
• Master's and doctoral students should check both the implementation plan and the publication plan.
• For master's and doctoral students, please indicate the date your research will be published in your master's thesis, doctoral dissertation, etc., and the expected date of degree completion, rather than the date the investigation or survey is completed. (e.g., the end of the academic year in which you complete your program)

Submission Due Date

【Submission Due Date】
By 12:00 p.m., the 10th of every month except August
*If the 10th is on a Sunday or National Holiday in Japan, the deadline will be 12:00 p.m. of the weekday before the 10th.
*The IRB committee will not be held in August.

【Result Notification】
By the end of each month (Except for August)

*Please be sure to submit your application before the start of your research.
*Depending on the content of the research plan, the review may be conducted without waiting for the full review process. Therefore, submit the application as soon as it is ready.

Contact

[Soka University IRB Office]
  ・ Address: Office of Research Management, Faculty Administration Department, Soka University
   　1-236, Tangi-machi, Hacioji-shi, Tokyo, 〒192-8577
　・Phone: 042-691-6904
　・Email: soka-irb[at]soka.ac.jp    ＊Replace “at” with “@”.

FAQs

Q

When is the submission due date?

A

By 12:00 p.m., the 10th of every month except August
*If the 10th is on a Sunday or National Holiday in Japan, the deadline will be 12:00 p.m. of the weekday before the 10th.
*The IRB committee will not be held in August.

Q

Is it possible to modify or add documents after the application documents have been submitted?

A

In principle, it is not acceptable for any modification and changes after the submission. However, if additional document submissions are required, the IRB office might contact you.

Q

When and how will I be notified of the results?

A

The results of the review will be notified to you by e-mail by the end of the month in which you apply. Therefore, please make sure to submit your IRB application by the 10th of the month before the month you plan to start your research.
*e.g.If you plan to start your research on July 1, you must submit your application by June 10.
*Research plans subject to chairperson approval, expedited review, or revisions to conditionally approved research plans will be reviewed without waiting for the full review process, and the results will be communicated accordingly.

Q

If I want to change the approved research plan, what procedures do I need to follow?

A

You need to submit the “F04 IRB Protocol Change Form” and get an approval from IRB committee.
Please fill in the form and submit to IRB office once you prepared the documents.
This application will be reviewed at any time without waiting for the next meeting of the IRB Committee.

Q

I am going to conduct the survey overseas, I am preparing the necessary documents for the survey (documents related to informed consent, questionnaires, etc.) in the local language. May I submit documents in the local language when applying?

A

Please make sure to attach the translation documents (Japanese or English) if you prepare the documents in the local language.

Q

How should I respond to the "Notes" section in the IRB review results?

A

In the section of ”Notes”, the list of recommendations that the applicant should keep in mind is indicated. It does NOT mean that the applicant is required to revise/resubmit the application documents. It is on the discretion of the application whether/how to respond to the notes.

Q

I am planning to conduct surveys/interviews at companies, hospitals, or educational institutions.

A

Please obtain “Permission to conduct research” from the head of the institution in advance, and submit it to the IRB office together with the other application documents.

Q

How long should my research data be stored?

A

The data retention period should be 10 years from the date of the release of research results, in accordance with the guidelines implemented on April 1, 2019.
*For graduate students, the date of completion of the Master's or Doctoral program can be considered the release date of the master's thesis or doctoral dissertation (the same as the date of the graduation ceremony).

Q

Are there any designated means on how to store my research data?

A

Research data should be stored in an external storage device that is not accessible via the internet and should be secured with a password.

Q

[For Faculty members] Can I use the questions and answers from the final/mid-term examinations for my research?

A

In principle, the use of questions and answer sheets in the final/mid-term exams for research is not permitted, as they are information that should be treated with the utmost care and security for the purposes of both teaching and management of personal information. However, the use of final/mid-term exam questions and answer sheets for research is permitted only if the following conditions are met.

• Prior consent must be obtained from the students.
• The student’s personal information must be anonymized.

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