Research

Content to be updated.

CITI Ethics Training

All researchers must complete ethics training and demonstrate proof of current certification
before collecting data for their research projects. Fresno State uses the Collaborative Institutional
Training Initiative (CITI) online program for this ethics training.

Visit the CITI Instructions

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Criminology IRB Protocol Review

The Criminology Institutional Review Board (CIRB) is responsible for reviewing human
subjects research protocols focused on criminology and forensic behavioral science topics. The
University Institutional Review Board (Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects; CPHS)
reviews research proposals from other disciplines, protocols that are funded, and protocols that
are more than minimal risk. Please visit the human subjects research website for more
information.

CIRB committee members review applications against strict ethical guidelines to ensure that
research is compliant with federal, university, and departmental policies. Demonstration of
appropriate CITI ethics training is required BEFORE CIRB review.

All CIRB proposals are submitted through Kuali (for help, see the Kuali User Guide and/or Kuali
tutorials). Please follow instructions carefully. There are also several example applications below
for reference. The committee reviews applications during the fall and spring semesters and does
not operate during semester breaks. Applications must be submitted by a faculty member. Please
anticipate approximately two weeks for application review.

Kuali Build Form

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Criminology graduate students

Criminology graduate students seeking CIRB approval for their thesis or project must attach
this form to their Kuali submission. The purpose of this form is to ensure that IRB protocols
submitted for departmental review have received appropriate review by the student’s
thesis/project committee and are ready for formal IRB review. Before an IRB protocol is
submitted on Kuali, the student, chair, and committee members should have reviewed the entire
submission, including the protocol/application, consent or assent documents, recruitment
materials, instruments, scripts, data-collection materials, appendices, and other supporting
materials. It’s recommended that you share these materials via email, as not everyone will have
access to your Kuali application.

Importantly, an IRB submission should be a final, committee-reviewed product—not an initial
draft. The IRB review process should not serve as the first substantive review of a student’s research materials or as the point at which basic omissions, inconsistencies, unresolved methodological issues, placeholders, or unfinished sections are identified.

Visit the CPHS Webpage

• This webpage includes several helpful resources, including policies and procedures, detailed application procedures, a checklist, and an informed consent template.