Ethical imperialism : institutional review boards and the social sciences, 1965-2009
"On 18 November 2004, Hunter College told Professor Bernadette McCauley to cease all her research' she was under investigation. In a letter sent by certified mail both to McCauley's home and office, two professors warned her that she had put the entire City University of New york at risk, and that her actions would be reported to the federal government. What dreadful crime had McCauley committed? She had obtained the phone numbers of foure nuns who had grown up in Washington Heights and who might give advice to some history students researching the neighborhood. McCauley thought she was just arranging some casual conversations. To Hunter College's Committee for the Protection of Human Research Participants, however, McCauley's potential interaction with the nuns might be r̀esearch which involves human subjects.' By failing to seek permission to conduct it, McCauley had committed as serious academic offense. The committee began to investigate not only McCauley's contact with the nuns, but also her use of archival documents while researching a book. McCauley thought this was absurd, and she hired a lawyer to resist the pressure. But on being told her job was at risk, she gave the committee the information it wanted. After six months, it concluded that her work was not subject to review after all
eBook, English, 2010
Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 2010