This essay reflects upon my experiences as a qualitative research faculty member becoming chair of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at my university. Many scholars have discussed the particular tensions and challenges that exist between qualitative research and IRBs.1 Other scholars have focused specifically on the challenges, disruptions, and successes of submitting autoethnographic studies to IRBs.2 These difficulties are often the result of the underlying incongruent paradigms between much qualitative inquiry and the understanding of research within IRBs. However, I argue that these challenges can be exacerbated by a lack of representation of qualitative inquirers on IRBs and the lack of specific knowledge of IRB processes and regulations that qualitative researchers, generally, and autoethnographers, specifically, could use to their advantage. After reviewing my experiences navigating the dual roles of qualitative/autoethnography dissertation advisor and IRB chair, I offer several suggestions for IRBs and researchers/teachers who desire to protect research...
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Summer 2021
Research Article|
July 01 2021
Reflections on Becoming a Qualitative IRB Chair: Recommendations for IRBs and Autoethnographic/Qualitative Researchers
Austin Pickup
Austin Pickup
Austin Pickup is an assistant professor in the Doctor of Education program at Aurora University. He holds a PhD in Educational Research and an MA in Secondary Education from the University of Alabama. His research interests focus broadly on qualitative inquiry, critical research methodologies, philosophy of education, and social studies education. email: apickup@aurora.edu
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Journal of Autoethnography (2021) 2 (3): 347–350.
Citation
Austin Pickup; Reflections on Becoming a Qualitative IRB Chair: Recommendations for IRBs and Autoethnographic/Qualitative Researchers. Journal of Autoethnography 1 July 2021; 2 (3): 347–350. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/joae.2021.2.3.347
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