Research Requests & Institutional Review

York Tech encourages the scholarly and professional development of its employees. 

Research conducted by an employee as part of their assigned College responsibilities for an official institutional purpose is generally considered Internal Institutional Research. 

However, research conducted primarily to fulfill an individual's academic or scholarly requirements, including a dissertation, thesis, publication, or similar personal research project, is considered external research, even when the researcher is a York Tech employee. 

Employee research of this nature is recognized as Employee/Institutional Stakeholder Research. When competing requests, participant burden, or institutional capacity require prioritization, stakeholder research will generally receive priority over requests from researchers with no formal affiliation with York Tech. 

This priority does not guarantee approval or exempt an employee researcher from applicable institutional review, IRB, FERPA, privacy, security, or other requirements. 

Important: Access to students, employees, systems, or institutional data through an employee's normal job responsibilities does not authorize use of those resources for a dissertation, thesis, or other external research project. 

Before You Submit a Request 

Researchers should be prepared to provide sufficient information for York Tech to understand the proposed study and its potential impact on the institution and its community. 

Depending upon the project, you may be asked to provide information or documentation related to: 

• Research purpose and research questions;
• Research methodology;
• Population and proposed sample;
• Recruitment methods and communications;
• Surveys, interview protocols, or other research instruments;
• Institutional data requested;
• Data collection and protection procedures;
• Proposed project timeline;
• Institutional Review Board (IRB) documentation, when applicable; and
• Other information necessary to evaluate the proposed research.

Providing complete information helps facilitate the review process.

York Tech institutional approval and Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval are not the same process. 

An IRB evaluates research involving human subjects according to applicable human-subject research requirements. Researchers are responsible for obtaining and maintaining any IRB approval required by their sponsoring institution or applicable regulations. 

York Tech's institutional review determines whether a research project may be conducted at York Technical College or involve York Tech students, employees, institutional data, programs, facilities, or other College resources. 

IRB approval from another institution does not constitute authorization to conduct research at York Tech. 

1. Submit Your Request 

Complete the York Technical College External Research Request Form and provide the requested supporting documentation. 

2. Institutional Review 

The College reviews the request based on factors such as: 

• Alignment with York Tech's mission and strategic priorities;
• Potential benefit to the institution;
• Compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
• Protection of confidential information;
• Availability of requested data;
• Operational feasibility;
• Staff and technology resources required;
• Potential impact on students, employees, or College operations; and
• Potential institutional risk.
  

3. Additional Review, When Applicable 

Requests involving institutional data, privacy considerations, or other institutional resources may require additional review or conditions before approval. 

4. Decision 

Following review, York Tech may: 

• Approve the request;
• Approve the request with conditions;
• Request additional information or revisions; or
• Deny the request. 

The Office of Institutional Excellence will communicate the decision to the researcher in writing. 

5. Begin Approved Research 

Researchers may not recruit or contact York Tech students or employees for research purposes until written institutional approval has been received. 

Only the research activities, populations, data, methods, and timeframe specifically authorized by York Tech may proceed. Substantive changes to an approved study should be submitted to the Office of Institutional Excellence for review before implementation. 

 Approval of a research project does not automatically authorize access to all requested institutional data.

York Tech provides only the minimum institutional information necessary to support an approved study. Depending upon the request, the College may: 

• Remove direct identifiers;
• Aggregate information;
• Suppress small cell sizes;
• Limit the variables released;
• Require a Data Use Agreement; or
• Establish other conditions for access or use. 

Institutional data may only be used for the purposes authorized by the College. 

Researchers approved to conduct research involving York Tech are responsible for: 

• Maintaining required IRB approval, when applicable;
• Following all conditions established in the York Tech approval letter;
• Protecting confidential and sensitive information;
• Using institutional data only for approved purposes;
• Promptly reporting unauthorized disclosure or breach of institutional data;
• Notifying OIE of substantive changes to the approved research; and
• Returning or destroying institutional data according to the approved data management plan. 

Upon completion of the project, researchers may be asked to provide York Tech with an electronic copy of the completed dissertation, thesis, or final report; a brief summary of findings; and confirmation that institutional data have been appropriately returned or destroyed. 

York Tech encourages researchers to share findings that may contribute to institutional learning and improvement.