Data Collection in Research/Scholarly Projects
This policy applies to all employees, students, and agents of AdventHealth University (AHU) collecting data for the purpose of Research, Scholarship Activities / Scholarly Project, and dissemination or publication.
This policy describes the AHU personnel's responsibilities when collecting data for scholarly projects. Data collection done without formal approval from the AHU Research and Grants Office (RGO) and Oversight Committees will be considered as "Non-compliance in Research".
AHU personnel, when representing AHU, are required and responsible for submitting all research studies and scholarly projects involving data collection (whether retrospective or prospective) to the RGO for the appropriate Oversight Committees.
These projects can involve the following, but are not limited to:
- Research study (Human Subject Research - HSR and Non-Human Subject Research - NHSR)
- Scholarly projects (Quality Improvement/Quality Assessment – QI/QA, Case-Study/Case-Scenario)
- Projects where AHU personnel (staff, faculty, students, and Hope Clinic patients) are used as the sample
- Projects where data collection occurs at AHU facilities (all campus locations, laboratories, classrooms, and Hope Clinic)
- Student scholarly projects/capstones conducted as partial fulfillment of graduation responsibilities.
Note that scholarly projects that do not involve data collection are not required to be submitted to the review of the RGO and the Oversight Committees. These projects involve the following, but are not limited to:
- Literature review (traditional, systematic, scope, etc.)
- Creation of educational modules, without data collection.
PROCEDURE/GUIDELINES: There is an open submission system, which means that any investigator may apply online at any time. Scholarly projects with data collection must be submitted online for review and approval by the Research and Grants Office (RGO) and the
Oversight Committees.
Scholarship Activities / Scholarly Project: is a systematic, evidence-based, data-guided design to contribute new knowledge or insights to a field. It includes research, Quality Improvement/Quality Assessment project, publication of articles/books, presentations, grant applications, the development of new educational tools or clinical techniques, among many others (Summary from Faculty & Adjunct Handbook, Appendix H – Scholarship Statement).
Research (Definition from Policy # CW AHC 101, Research Oversight): is any systematic investigation, study, or experiment designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge, including basic and applied research (e.g., a published article, book, or book chapter) and product development (e.g., a diagnostic test, drug or device), and non-research projects such as training, clinical services, educational conferences, exhibitions, performances, archives, workshops, and library projects for which external funding is received. Research also includes any such activity for which a proposal is submitted for funding from external sources through a grant, contract, or agreement, including, but not limited to, research grants, career development awards, center grants, individual fellowship awards, infrastructure awards, institutional training grants, program projects and research resources awards. Research also includes projects that are internally funded (i.e., funded by AdventHealth or AdventHealth University), as well as research for which approval of an IRB (or IRB exemption) or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is required.
Data Collection: is the systematic process of gathering and measuring information on specific variables to answer questions, test hypotheses, and evaluate outcomes using methods such as surveys, interviews, observations, or sensors.
Oversight Committees: The University follows the Company-Wide AHC 101 Research Oversight Policy that states that AdventHealth Research Institute (AHRI), with guidance from the AdventHealth Research Council (ARC), is responsible for developing a system-wide Research Oversight program that promotes compliance with all applicable legal requirements and institutional policies, ensures ethical conduct, and provides education, training, and guidance.
The AdventHealth Research Oversight Committees (Policy # CW AHC 108 Human Research Protection Program) that support the AdventHealth University Research and Grants Office (RGO) are as follows: Centralized Core Services, Institutional Review Board, Office of Research and Compliance, Office of Sponsored Programs, and Research Finance.
The AHU RGO, with guidance from the Research Steering Committee (RSC), is responsible for the entire lifecycle of all scholarly projects, with data collection, promoting scientific and regulatory oversight through the AdventHealth Oversight Committees and specific procedures through the AdventHealth University Scholarly Projects Oversight Committees such as the Scientific Review Committee (SRC), Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHS), External Funding Steering Committee (EFSC), and Research Institutional Clearance Committee (RICC).
Noncompliance: (Based on Policy # CW AHC 107, Definitions in Human Research): Failure to follow the regulations, requirements, or determinations of the IRB, and the other Research-Approving Committees and Offices.
Research Misconduct (Policy # CW AHC 105, Research Misconduct): Includes Fabrication, Falsification, or Plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results.
- Fabrication: Making up data or results and recording or reporting them.
- Falsification: Manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented in the Research Records.
- Plagiarism: The appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit. Research Misconduct does not include honest error or differences of opinion.
| Committee | Date Voted | Minutes Code |
|---|---|---|
| AHU Cabinet | Wednesday, May 13, 2026 |
