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General Information
In conducting original research and/or completing the dissertation, EDP faculty and EDP graduate students may request use of the Department’s subject pool if it provides an appropriate sample.
Questions?
If you have questions about how to gain access to the subject pool or about other procedures, please contact the EDP Subject Pool Coordinator at edpSubjectPool@austin.utexas.edu. If you have questions about the Subject Pool or a policy matter, please contact the EDP Administrative Manager.
How to Request Subjects
The EDP Subject Pool is only available in the Fall and Spring semesters.
Your study must first be approved by the Department Review Committee (DRC; the officially designated representative of the University's Institutional review Board, or IRB) before the Subject Pool Committee can act on your request. The DRC will examine your proposed study to determine if it complies with University policies regarding the ethical treatment of research participants. If you have not obtained DRC approval, your request for subjects will be delayed or even rejected for the semester. Your study must also have IRB approval.
Application to the DRC and IRB is made through the UTRMS-IRB application process. Under Step 2, #3, enter the EDP Graduate Advisor's EID (you can look up EIDs in the UT Directory) as Department Review Chair. For #4, enter the EDP Subject Pool Coordinator's EID as the Research Assistant/Project Coordinator.
Note that you will not be allowed to enroll or collect data for your study until you've received full IRB approval.
EDP faculty and graduate student researchers* wishing to request student subjects must first submit their study for consideration by completing a Request for Researcher Account and Study Proposal Submission form.
Proposals must be submitted within the first 2 weeks of the semester. The Subject Pool Committee will meet after the semester submission deadline to review all proposals. Researchers should realize that the number of subjects and the time allotted to your study by the Committee may be different from what you requested, depending on the constraints faced by the Committee each semester.
* Graduate student researchers must have a faculty sponsor for their research. If your study is part of your dissertation, you need the sponsorship of your committee supervisor, and you must have successfully completed your dissertation proposal meeting. Your request for subjects will be delayed or rejected for the semester if you fail to meet these requirements.
Deadlines, Spring 2023
August 21-September 1, 2023 - Informational session for researchers will be held one-on-one as requested. We strongly encourage new researchers to attend this session about using the management system and creating your study in the system. The Subject Pool Coordinator will send out an email with a confirmed date and time shortly after the start of the semester.
September 3, 2023 - Subject Pool Study Proposal Submission form due by midnight.
September 11, 2023 - Study opening date for IRB-approved studies. Studies may also open after this date.
November 13, 2023 - Study closing date for all EDP Subject Pool studies. Studies close at midnight that evening. You may close your study earlier, but this is the last possible day to run participants.
November 17, 2023 - Finalized study credits are due from all researchers.
December 4, 2023 - End of semester; last class day.
Specialized Subject Requests
There are two options when requesting a specialized group of subjects. You may request subjects based on demographic characteristics (see list below).
You may also submit your own potential screening questions or criteria. Screening questions are limited to a total of 5 and should be submitted for approval to the EDP Subject Pool Coordinator 5 days prior to the beginning of the semester. If approved, they will be included on the subject pool student registration website by the first day of class. Screening questions will be rejected if there appears to be any psychological risks or issues of confidentiality about administering them to the entire pool of potential subjects.
Researcher Conduct
You are expected to adhere to APA standards in the conduct of the study. Please consult the APA publication, "Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct" for more information. Also, please observe the following procedures:
- You must provide ample opportunities for students to complete the study (i.e., sufficient numbers of sign-up times at convenient hours and locations). Class time cannot be used to conduct the research.
- All research must be completed three weeks before the last day of class. The Subject Pool Coordinator will provide specific deadlines each semester.
- Record attendance in your online roster. You will be required to provide it to the Subject Pool Coordinator at the end of the study and no later than three weeks prior to the last day of classes.
- You should provide feedback - oral or written, preferably after each session - so students can have a better understanding of and appreciation for research in educational psychology.
The Office of Research Support and Compliance has a list of Responsibilities of Principle Investigators which should also be followed.
Subjects' Rights
The EDP Subject Pool Committee has established the following subjects' rights.
- By completing the registration process the subject is agreeing to participate in a research study rather than doing the alternative assignment as their way to meet the research requirement.
- However, this does not commit the subject to participate in the study that is assigned to them.
- At the time the study is conducted, the subject will be given a consent form that describes the nature of the study.
- The subject may decline to participate in the particular study upon reading this form if they choose.
- In addition, once the study is underway, the subject has the right to cease participation in the study at any time without penalty should they feel uncomfortable with the study's procedures.