Research Advisors

• In order to protect the health, safety and legal rights of human subjects, the student conducting the project must have a Research Advisor approve his/her plans PRIOR to any work with human subjects. The Advisor will meet with the student and a responsible adult who will supervise student work. Qualifications for Research Advisors vary with the type of project as follows:

  1. If the project involves:

  • a physical activity IN ANY WAY BEYOND THE SCOPE OF ANY SUBJECT'S EVERYDAY LIFE (running endurance trials, sitting in hot tubs, test performance after reduced sleep, etc.)
  • work with human blood
  • the ingestion of a food, drink or any other substance IN ANY WAY BEYOND THE SCOPE OF ANY SUBJECT'S EVERYDAY LIFE...
    
    ... the Research Advisor must be a medical doctor (M.D.)

     

  1. If the project involves:

  • the ingestion of food, drink or any other substance COMPLETELY WITHIN the scope of any subject's everyday life
  • a physical activity COMPLETELY WITHIN the scope of the subject's everyday life (i.e. Does color affect taste? Do different ages have different food preferences? Measuring changes in height before and after sleep, etc.)
  • the collection of information through a questionnaire or survey ...
    
    ... the Research Advisor must be the School Science Fair Coordinator or the School Site Administrator.

   

• At the initial meeting, students must provide the Research Advisor with all of the following:

  1. a written description of procedures they plan
  2. a copy of the Humboldt County Science Fair regulations pertaining to human subjects
  3. a copy of the Humboldt County Science Fair Research Approval Certificate
  4. the form to be sent to parents for their approval of their child's participation in the project

• The Advisor will complete Part I of the Research Approval Certificate. A copy of this Certificate must be submitted with the County Science Fair Project Entry Form.
• Research Advisors must assure that each individual human subject will not be exposed to any risk of possible injury either physical, psychological, or social as a consequence of participation in a science fair project.

Parent Permission

• Prior written permission approving any activity or tasting by a student "subject" must be obtained from the parent or guardian. These permission forms must be kept on file and a copy must be included in the student's logbook.
• California Education Code 60650 requires that parents review and approve any surveys their children are asked to complete. The intent of this Section is based on the protection of family privacy and personal beliefs, nonetheless all surveys including those, for example, with questions about television viewing habits, birth weights, etc. must still comply with this requirement for parental pre-approval. Written approval by the parent or guardian must be on file for each student subject. Simple notification of the questionnaire to be administered is not sufficient.
  

Surveys

• See parent permission requirements in the Parent Permission section.

• The data collected from surveys must be presented in such a way that no one can identify the individual who completed a specific survey, including the student administering the survey.