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LAUC-LA Handbook: Survey Requirements

This guide provides information and background documents for LAUC-LA Committees to carry out their charges. For a committee’s charge and roster, click that committee tab and a drop-down menu will lead to the procedures and documents for each committee.

Conducting a Survey?

If a committee or a LAUC member is considering conducting a survey, be sure to read the information to the right.

If the survey is for LAUC-LA related business, Statewide LAUC has a SurveyMonkey account that can be used. Contact the current LAUC-LA Chair for information.

Survey Requirements

Does a LAUC-LA member need to apply for an IRB (Institutional Review Board) exemption or full review for a survey?

Wendy Brunt, MA, CIP, the IRB Administrator in the Office of Human Research Protection Program at UCLA answered this question as follows, "If that individual polls LAUC-LA members with the intent to disseminate the findings of the survey beyond the UC system, s/he would need to submit the survey to the IRB and obtain prospective IRB approval or exemption."

If a LAUC-LA member needs to apply, what will the IRB look for and why?

  • Evidence of full disclosure regarding the survey: Survey participants need to be fully informed of the purpose and nature of the survey, and the survey sponsor, as well as how the results will be utilized.
  • Identification of individuals: Survey participants' identity needs to be protected, in order to forestall any possible recrimination for survey responses. This may mean not requiring or even including a question asking the participant to identify her/his unit within the UCLA Library or within UCLA, as the case may be.
  • Confidentiality of individual responses: Survey participants need to be assured that specific responses will not be singled out in such a way as to identify individuals.
  • Voluntary nature of the survey: Clear statement that the survey is completely voluntary, and that survey participants may choose not to complete a survey even if they have begun it.
  • Contact information for questions: Generally, this would be the Co-PI.

Who can submit an exemption or full review application to the IRB?

  • The University Librarian is to be listed as the PI (Primary Investigator) on all IRB applications.
  • The librarian serving as Co-PI needs IRB Certification, acquired by completing IRB training online.
  • Consult with Leslie McMichael, Library Administrative Office, to see copies of previous approved IRB exemption and full review application forms,  or to ask a question.  
  • Leslie McMichael must be informed when a librarian applies for IRB (Instititional Review Board) exemption or full review.

Link to more information: