AERA Activities Related to
Human Research Protections

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is pleased to be able to play a leadership role as the scientific society that provides an organizational base for the Social and Behavioral Sciences Working Group on Human Research Protections. AERA Executive Director, Dr. Felice J. Levine, serves as Chair of the Working Group. In collaboration with social and behavioral scientists from numerous executive branch agencies and academia, the Working Group promotes efforts to improve the human research protection system through outreach to the scientific community, development of human subjects protection courses, and preparation of reports that seek to improve understanding of how social and behavioral science research can best operate within the human research protections system. The Working Group is made possible by a contractual agreement from the National Institutes of Health's Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research to AERA.

At the AERA Annual Meeting in April 2003, the Social and Behavioral Sciences Working Group conducted a successful mini-course in human research protections in education research. Participants gained an understanding of human research protection issues in the design, implementation, and review of research. The course also provided participants with an understanding of the ethical underpinnings of research, the federal regulations guiding research with human participants, key concepts involved in translating federal guidance into practice, and how to effectively communicate with Institutional Review Boards (IRBs).

In addition to the federal rules and regulations, AERA's own professional ethical standards continue to guide educational researchers in the ethical conduct of research. Together, these various sources provide an opportunity for researchers to stay abreast of current thinking on how to ensure research volunteers are protected within the context of advancing knowledge in the social and behavioral sciences.