Q: Would it be an issue if I submit a paper based on my doctoral dissertation for which I have IRB approval for the raw data but not for the secondary analysis?

Detailed Question -

I am preparing a new paper by analyzing the data of my doctoral dissertation. I received the IRB approval for my doctoral dissertation. However, when I applied for exemption of IRB approval for the secondary analysis of the data, I did not get the approval (for the new research). This is because when I collected the data initially, I did not get consent for secondary analysis. In other words, the raw data was approved by the IRB, but not for secondary analysis.

However, I would like to submit this paper to an SCI journal. But would it prove to be an ethical issue? That is, would the non-approval by the IRB for the secondary analysis be a reason for disqualification by an SCI journal?

Also, if I use the [your] journal selection service, I wonder if there would be any journals that do not require an IRB approval.

1 Answer to this question
Answer:

Firstly, it’s great that you are considering basing a paper on your dissertation. In fact, it’s often possible to write multiple scientific papers based on your dissertation as the dissertation is built around several topics and a journal article around only one topic.

Coming to your query, it’s also great that you have thought of this important ethical consideration before starting or submitting a paper. To answer your question, yes, it will be an ethical issue if you proceed without the IRB approval. As you asked about a journal selection service too, any reputed service would also not be able to help because no reputed journal would accept a manuscript without the appropriate ethics approval. The best way to proceed in your case would be to receive approval for the secondary analysis, and then, if needed, our journal selection service can help you choose an appropriate journal.

A couple of additional points. Based on the information we have provided, some researchers may inadvertently turn to journals of lower repute, but these are likely to be predatory journals, and we would advise any researcher to be cautious of these journals. In fact, here’s a checklist that can help you identify a bogus journal: 10 Point checklist to identify predatory publishers

Going back to the earlier point, if approval is not possible or is likely to take a long time, you may consider looking at some other topic in your dissertation that may not need approval and develop that into a paper.

Hope that helps. For more insights into research ethics, you may find the following resources useful:

All the best for the next steps!

Comment