sorry, but I have to break this into two parts as the 10k limit caught me again please allow me to stop arguing in the abstract for a moment [I sort of gravitate toward hypotheticals] If you have a chance, have a look a the U of Illinois, IRB protection of human subjects stuff at http://www.irb.uiuc.edu/ http://www.irb.uiuc.edu/?q=irb-admin/introduction.html Especially helpful is the download of the "NEW" IRB Application for Exemption. This is the document that controls the process, for the U. of I., of telling researchers that they can go ahead and do what they plan to do cause it fits under the Federal categories for exemption from full review. Even getting the research approved via this form does not release the researcher from best practices; but it does recognize that certain kinds of work (descriptive, observational, etc.) are in a category that pose little risk to subjects so may be done without full board review and constant, repetitive, oversight. before I highlight a couple parts, please note that I'm not at the U of I . . . I'm only familiar with their stuff cause I treat them as a model due to their longstanding involvement with ethnography. See their long term ethnography of the university project: http://www.eotu.uiuc.edu/what/index.htm I think this is an IRB that pretty clearly understands, via experience, ethnographic methods. These guys don't make law for everyone. But I think they are a good model and they are breaking ground in the attempted colocation of human subject protection stuff across disciplines. Some highlights in the application for exemption: *NEW* IRB Application for Exemption: http://www.irb.uiuc.edu/files/ exemptform.dot (this will open as a fillable form in WORD) Edward Lee Lamoureux, Ph. D. Associate Professor, Multimedia Program and Department of Communication Co-Director, New Media Center 1501 W. Bradley Bradley University Peoria IL 61625 309-677-2378 <http://slane.bradley.edu/com/faculty/lamoureux/website2/index.html> <http://gcc.bradley.edu/mm/> AIM/IM & skype: dredleelam Second Life: Professor Beliveau