Aerial view of Graduate School and Nursing building.

Tips for Low-Risk Online Surveys

Make sure your survey is truly anonymous

Name, email, and date of birth are the obvious identifiers, but information such as age, race, and zip code can also be identifiers in certain contexts.

Only ask for identifiable information that is necessary to your study.

Avoid certain topics if you want your survey to be considered low-risk

Sexual attitudes and behaviors, disclosure of illegal activities, depression and other mental health disorders, violent crimes, and opinions about employers are just some examples of high-risk topics.

Consider your population

If your study involves a population that might not be able to properly consent to research conducted online (e.g. children, persons with cognitive disabilities, etc.) you might need to rethink the traditional consent model. Your study may not be low-risk.

Use the Online Consent Template

Pick the survey host and make the template for online consent the landing page. Download the Online Consent Template from the IRB website.

Submit your new survey study in Cayuses IRB

View a sample Cayuse IRB submission for an exempt online survey on our website.

Request a waiver of alteration of consent