Brigham Young University requires approval of certain surveys to ensure their statistical integrity, alignment with university goals, respect for time and resources, and compliance with relevant laws.

Academic Support Unit means a non-academic unit that supports academic units (e.g., departments, schools, colleges) and the university at large. Examples include the Center for Teaching and Learning, Dining Services, Harold B. Lee Library, and Physical Facilities.

Survey means a tool used to collect, measure, and analyze data from a population being studied and may include the collection of responses through questionnaires, interviews (including oral histories), focus groups, or observations.

University Survey means a survey (1) whose respondents are entirely or primarily drawn from the BYU community, (2) that covers university-wide issues, and (3) that is designed to draw conclusions about BYU based on the data obtained.

Only the Office of Assessment and Planning may administer University Surveys.

Personnel and students who use personal information maintained and provided by the university to contact potential survey respondents to participate in Surveys that are not University Surveys must obtain approval from the university official designated below before initiating a Survey.

Church-Related Surveys

Surveys designed to gather data from subjects inside or outside of the BYU community where

• the intended respondents are exclusively a population or sub-group of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (e.g., recently divorced members, members in a specific geographic location) or
• the survey topic is a Church of Jesus Christ program or event (e.g., FSY program, temple open house)

require approval from the international vice president or designee, who will coordinate final approval from the Church of Jesus Christ.

Researchers Outside the BYU Community

Researchers who are not BYU students or personnel and who desire to use contact information maintained and provided by the university to survey respondents must first obtain approval from the assistant to the president for assessment and planning and then must obtain approval from BYU’s Institutional Review Board (IRB), if required (see Human Subject Research below).

Approval Not Required

So long as surveys meet this policy’s requirements related to University Surveys and Church-Related Surveys, and any applicable IRB review, approval is not required for the following:

• Surveys for faculty scholarly research that do not use BYU-provided personal information to sample members of the BYU community
• Surveys facilitated through BYU department or college subject management systems (e.g., Sona)
• Surveys designed by BYU faculty and students to collect data as part of course instruction that are not intended for publication or presentation outside of the university
• Surveys that assess event experience or client satisfaction regarding a BYU surveyor’s specific campus unit
• Surveys created by BYU students for a class assignment, club activity, or similar purpose that are distributed through publicly available channels (e.g., public square, social media) following approval from the class instructor or club advisor. BYU identity marks may not appear on these types of Surveys (see Use of BYU Identity Marks below). Supervising faculty, class instructors, or advisors remain responsible for the content of student surveys.

Survey approval from designated university officials will be based on a determination that

• The information sought serves an important university purpose
• A Survey is an appropriate means of gathering the information
• The Survey is appropriate for the research population
• The Survey meets all legal and ethical requirements consistent with the rights of the potential respondents, including applicable international privacy laws
• The Survey purpose and content are in accordance with the Academic Freedom Policy
• The Survey does not duplicate an already administered Survey
• Appropriate sampling is used to minimize the extent of imposition on the university community
• The potential for Survey fatigue is avoided

The university may require data sharing agreements for the use of data resulting from Surveys of members of the BYU community.

In addition to the approval required above, Surveys for academic research involving human subjects, whether conducted by university personnel, students, or external researchers, and that meet the federal regulatory definition of human subject research, must be reviewed by BYU’s IRB (see Human Research Protection Policy). Surveys that are administered by the university or campus units for institutional assessment only and that are not shared externally do not require IRB review. University personnel and students who are unsure whether their work constitutes research requiring IRB approval should contact the university’s IRB.

Surveys must clearly state the official name of the originating unit(s), along with contact information that respondents may use should they have questions.

Demographic questions—such as race, sex, gender identity, and international student status—used in Surveys should be standardized questions available from the Office of Assessment and Planning (see Standard Demographic Questions). When these questions are used consistently, the data gathered will be comparable.

With the exception of Surveys created by students for a class assignment, club activity, or similar purpose that are distributed through publicly available channels, BYU identity marks, including logos, symbols, icons, or graphic marks, may appear on Surveys issued in compliance with this policy.