CDL Research Element

The MU Child Development Lab (CDL) is pleased to cooperate with research projects that have been approved by the Campus Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the CDL Director. These policies are intended to ensure the privacy of the children, families, and teachers at the MU CDL. All investigators conducting research at the CDL are required to read and adhere to the following policies.

Research Approval and Oversight

All research projects must be approved by the Campus Institutional Review Board (IRB). Investigators are required to submit the IRB project title and seven‑digit IRB number.
A faculty member must sponsor student researchers.
All researchers must submit a CDL Research Proposal Request.
Approval of the CDL Research Proposal Request is required prior to beginning the project. Research proposals are discussed during a lab staff meeting and approved by the CDL Director, a laboratory instructor, an assistant instructor, and a Family Advisory Board Member.
Research proposals are evaluated based on the appropriateness of the research methodology and design, the level of participation required, and the degree of intrusiveness into the daily program and routine.
The CDL Director will monitor all approved projects.
Approved research may be terminated at the discretion of the CDL Director at any time and for any reason.

Consent, Assent, and Participant Rights

Researchers may not take photographic images, make videotaped observations, or collect other information about children in the lab without both parental consent and child assent.
The researcher is responsible for distributing and collecting all consent forms.
Children must provide assent in order to participate in the research. If a child becomes tired, restless, or unwilling, the child’s participation will end and may be rescheduled for a later date.
Researchers must be available to parents to address questions or discuss concerns related to the research.

Use of Images and Media

Researchers may use or share photos in electronic formats (such as online, in presentations, or in digital reports) only after obtaining explicit permission from participants and/or their families. The use of electronic media must also be included in the study’s IRB approval, and all permission must be formally documented through the IRB-approved consent process.
Photographic images or videotapes may not be used in any electronic media or published without authorization through a signed family release form, and all consent must be clearly documented using the IRB-approved consent process.
All photographic images or videotapes must be respectful and used only for the purposes identified in the research.

Confidentiality

All information collected from the MU Child Development Lab must be treated with the highest confidentiality and used solely for the purposes identified in the research.