Research Coordinator Blog

  Research projects that would fall under secondary use are those which utilize previously-collected data to answer a new research question. Before the research can begin, the Research Ethics Board (REB) will need to review your proposed research. Using old data to answer new questions has a number of advantages, such as not wasting resources (e.g., time) re-collecting information. Additionally, for some new researchers, this approach can seem less daunting than undertaking a standard research project involving collecting new data. What types of research questions lend themselves to this type of data? Here are some examples: Many scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) questions can be answered using secondary data (i.e., using student performance data form the previous semesters you have taught). For example, you may be wondering if your students prefer your class taught hybrid, face-to-face or online. If you have taught the same course in all three delivery modes, you may...

  In previous issues, I have addressed the forms required for secondary use of data as well as how, in some cases, participants’ consent may not be required for secondary use projects. This week, I will define what a secondary use research project really is (to be continued in the next issue). In future articles, I will detail how to complete the secondary use REB form, section by section. So, what differentiates a secondary use research project from a traditional research project? The short answer is: when the data were collected. If you are proposing to collect data from participants during your study, then you’re not engaged in a research project that would fall under secondary use. If the data have already been collected, and you simply plan to use those previously-collected data in order to answer your research question, then you’d fall in the secondary use category. Essentially, a project that falls under secondary use involves harnessing past data for new research. Where do ...