You haven't quite got the right idea, Fatih. If you are going to
predict fitness, you need a criterion measure of fitness. You can't
just say the person is fit. You need something to base that on.
VO2max and so on are measures that tell you. One thing you have left
out is recent training, which you can also use to define fitness.
But cross-sectional relationships between training and whatever
measures of performance are not interesting any more.  We did all that
stuff years ago.

If you still want to post your message, send it again and I will add
the above as a note.

Thank you for your kind response. However, I am afraid I was not able to follow your comments. We would like to predict fitness based on some criteria such as age, height, weight, test time, maximal oxygen uptake, velocity at maximal oxygen uptake, heart rate at maximal oxygen uptake, anaerobic threshold, and any other parameters required for aerobic fitness prediction. We will not just say the person is fit. Our prediction will be based on the parameters I mentioned.
We will apply a new method called support vector machines, for fitness prediction and evaluate the performance of the method.
 
What is wrong with this approach?
 
By the way, I am not interested in defining fitness through recent training.
 
Let's clarify whether or not there is a problem in our approach.

OK, you appear to be pursuing a kind of factor analytic approach.  Post the message, I will add a comment, and we'll see what others say.

I have just uploaded a peer-reviewed article on the impact factors of
journals in exercise and sport science and medicine.  The yellow
jersey goes to Sports Medicine and the white jersey to Hakan Gur's
Journal of Sports Science and Medicine.  To view the article, go to
http://sportsci.org and click on the link for the developing new issue.

I am also pleased to report that Google has restored sportsci.org and
the stats site to its search engine.  It is also back in Google
Scholar--yet another reason why Google Scholar is better than PubMed
and Web of Science.  Seriously, Google Scholar does journals in our
disciplines that these other two databases don't.

Will

Will G Hopkins, PhD FACSM
Health Science/Sport and Recreation
AUT University
Private Bag 92006, Auckland 0627, New Zealand
Work +64 9 921 9793, Fax +64 9 921 9960
Home +64 9 376 0198, Cell +64 27 427 2518
Skype WillTheKiwi
will@..., whopkins@...
Statistics http://newstats.org
Sportscience http://sportsci.org
--------------------------------
Be creative: break rules

I'm starting to assemble enough content to make the new developing
issue of Sportscience the current homepage.  I need one or two good
links to add to the top of the page.  Earlier this year someone
called Michelle Soles sent me the message you see below.  It's the
sort of thing I am looking for (or an outstanding new training site
or research resource or whatever), but I had a quick click around
both these sites and I think they're too vague.  The affiliations of
the authors are also disturbingly unclear.  Anyway, please send me a
link you have used lately and that you think others ought to know about.

Thanks!

Will

To whom it may concern,

I would recommend adding links to the following on your site:
http://www.studyguidezone.com
http://www.studytips.org

Both of these sites have really good information about studying and I
think they would be helpful to students.

All the best,
Michelle

"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." John Dewey

Given all the recent stories about the horrid air quality in
Beijing, I have an obvious question:

Is it possible to devise a nose/mouth air-filter mask that
would NOT impair aerobic endurance?

Amby Burfoot, Executive Editor
Runner's World Magazine
135 N. Sixth St, Emmaus PA 18049
610 967 8444 (ph); 610 967 8883 (fax)
Amby.Burfoot@...
www.runnersworld.com

Thanks to the four people who replied to my request for useful links,
as below.  They suggested a podcast, a blog, and two websites.  I
think I will use the links to the blog and podcast.

The podcast looked and sounded slick,  but I had too much to do to listen for
more than a few minutes.

The blog had links to other blogs, including one on running by Amby
Burfoot!  So far I've had no time for more than a quick squizz.  Getting them by
email seems to be a reasonable option to keep
up with current news and opinions.

The brianmac site appears to be a comprehensive accessible training
site, high on content and low on hype.

The istadia website appeared to be offering some kind of
networking/marketing service rather than content.

Please get back to me with any other interesting podcasts, blogs, or sites.

Will

From: Gordon Chalmers
I have found the new web site hosted by Bill Kraemer and others to be
interesting and a unique learning opportunity, listening to the
training views of strength and conditioning coaches of professional
teams (American so far).
http://www.sphour.com/
Also, video demonstrations of some exercises for students to see.
The audio recordings are also available as pod casts at iTunes.

From: "Burfoot, Amby"
Will: If you haven't already seen this. I don't know
how they're going to keep up their output, but these
two seem to have a lot of energy.
http://scienceofsport.blogspot.com

From: spscmorr
This website may be of interest to you: http://www.brianmac.co.uk. It
has lots of information related to sports physiology.

From: Rob Robson
I saw your post on the sportscience Yahoo group about useful links.
I'd really appreciate it if you could link to iStadia.com. I think it
could be a really valuable resource for anyone interested in sport
science, to develop their network or market themselves.
I'm more than happy to give you more information about us - but
basically myself and my business partner (Keith Irving) are sport
pscyhologists and are keen to create a global community of sport and
exercise professionals. We are a business and eventually will
probably charge for a premium membership, but people wil always be
able to access the site and some form of membership for free.
Have a look around at http://www.istadia.com

That is a great suggestion, but I don't think it is likely to be used.
I have studied exercise and the respiratory system for a few years and I
will try to make some suggestions as to why this is not likely to
happen.  Mind you, as soon as someone says it isn't likely, someone else
makes the perfect device, so here goes.  I hope somebody will take this
as a challenge and develop the best filter possible.

   Filters are made to be used with pulmonary function tests.  These have
a very low resistance and when we have looked at pulmonary measurements
with and without the filters we can't tell a difference in either flow
rates or volumes.  They are designed to filter out particles as small as
bacteria, so might be able to help with particulate pollution.  What
they won't help with, though, are chemical pollutants, like ozone and
sulfur compounds.  There are filters for those, too.  I believe that
hazmat crews use them.  They have a pretty high resistance to breathing
and would certainly hinder performance, though.

   In our testing of athletes, some at or near the elite level, one very
common complaint they have is the breathing apparatus, whether it is a
mouthpiece and valve, or a facemask type apparatus.  Most will tell you
that they hinder breathing and they don't like to have them in their
mouth or on their face.  I would guess that most people would end up not
using a filter during an event if they had any thought that it would
harm performance.

   What might be useful is to have the athletes wear something during
their stay in Beijing, have high efficiency filters in their living
quarters, and spend as little time outdoors as possible while they are
there.

Richard Coast

J. Richard Coast
Dept. Biological Sciences
Northern Arizona University

Hello fellow sport scientists,

I got this question on my website email and it intrigued me enough that I
thought I would pass it on.  I doubt we will find anything on medline to
answer this, so PPGs (physiologically plausible guesses) are welcome.

***************************
I write a series of books in which I answer little mysteries sent in by
readers.  I also write a column for Mental Floss Magazine (their online
presence is at http://www.mentalfloss.com)  For my next column, I'd like
to answer a question sent in by reader Alona Amsel of New York City.  She
asked:

"I've taken step aerobics for many years, and I've notice that after
working out really hard for close to an hour, some people turn beet red,
some people turn pale, and others retain their usual complexion.  Could
you explain why we change complexion and why different people respond
differently?'

Please send your replies to the list AND to Dave Feldman
(feldman@...), who sent me the most unusual exercise
physiology question I have received this year.

Stephen Seiler Ph.D FACSM
Faculty of Health and Sport
Service box 422
Agder University College
4604 Kristiansand, Norway

Certainly the mechanisms are going to be related to blood flow, but I think the
real question is why are different people responding differently. Genetics is
too easy an answer.

I have a friend with Roseacia. This is a skin disorder characterized by redness
in the face. This person has a lot of trouble exercising because the face
becomes flushed, and the arms and legs to a lesser extent. They feel very hot
and uncomfortable unless they exercise under very cool conditions. This skin
disorder is often missed and people think they just have "rosy cheeks". In my
friend's case, they had it for 3 years before it was diagnosed during an
incidental visit to a dermatologist for a separate problem.

Ian

OK, let's see:

The post exercise facial color is 1) clearly related to local skin blood
flow (and perhaps highly localized effects are present given that some get
a blotchy red-skinned reaction after exercise), 2) probably impacted by
sympathetic stimulation and 3) skin/environmental temperature.

Other conditions besides exercise that cause some people to become red in
the face are 1) hot conditions 2) alcohol 3) spicy foods. If you react to
one of these triggers with reddening of the face, do you also react to the
others in a similar way.  Is their a common mechanism?

Do the flushers tend to be fair skinned and of Celtic ancestry?  What
about the exercisers who become white in the face after exercise?

Stephen

Stephen Seiler Ph.D FACSM
Faculty of Health and Sport
Service box 422
Agder University College
4604 Kristiansand, Norway

Triggers for Rosacea include hot conditions, alcohol and spicy foods. The
blotchy appearance is common in this condition.

Ian Shrier

Dear academics on the sportscience list,

Yesterday, the new dean of my faculty walked in my office, introduced
herself, and immediately asked me to help her with a little assignment.
Seeing as how she was the Dean and all, I smiled and said "no
problem".....

The assignment was to help evaluate, on behalf of the faculty, a draft
university committee document evaluating the current structure of
quantification and incentives for research publication (in all its various
forms) used at our institution.

Some background:

1) In Norway, part of the funding each academic institution receives is
tied directly to research production in the form of research articles,
books, and book chapters.  This is a zero sum game since the annual
national budget allocation is fixed, meaning that RELATIVE and not
absolute performance changes among the institutions are rewarded, or
penalized.

2) At our young institution, a similar internal (between faculties) zero
sum game was initiated back in 2001 by the university administration. A
portion of our departmental budget each year is based on relative research
production.  The national and local systems are similar but not identical,
since the local system gives some weighting to, for example, international
presentations, while the national system only considers peer-reviewed
written works.

3) Regarding weighting of publication quality, in Norway, a 2-tier
weighting system is used nationally where the top 10% of the journals in a
field are considered level two.  Publications in these are weighted 3x
that of publications in the other 90%, which are all in one heap called
level 1.  The hospitals in Norway use their own 3-tier system, with
publication in one of the top 5 medical journals weighted 5x a typical
(impact factor = 1) journal.

My task is to give feedback about the committee's suggested changes to the
current system of "points" that are awarded for everything we produce.
How much is a completed PHD worth compared to 1 level one journal article
(the unit of comparison for weighting)?  Should books, or book chapters
count and how much (for example one monograph = 4 articles in OK
journals?) What about international presentations, invited keynote
addresses? What about a really popular academic website (of course not)?
You get the idea.

SO, my questions are these:

1.  Does your country have a similar quantification system?
2.  What about your university/faculty?
3.  If so, how are the different forms of publication/presentation weighted?
4.  Is impact factor(or something related to journal quality/prestige) of
the journal weighed in to the equation?


I would be very interested in getting an international perspective on this
issue, so all responses are appreciated.

regards,

Stephen Seiler

p.s.  Yes, the whole system is a null sum game, and yet we play it,
proving that Norwegian academics are sheep.  Baaah.


Stephen Seiler Ph.D FACSM
Faculty of Health and Sport
Service box 422
Agder University College
4604 Kristiansand, Norway

Dear friends,
ISAK level 1 International Accreditation course on Anthropometry  is
to be held from 3rd to 6th October at Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata,
India.  For details go through the website of International Society
for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry at www.isakonline.com  or
contact Dr. Anup Adhikari at dranupadhikari@...

With regards
Anup Adhikari, Ph.D
Exercise Physiologist, L3 Kianthropometrist
& Photoscopic Somatotype Rater (ISAK)
Center for Wellness and Research
Kolkata –70055
India

All ~

Follow-up on the altitude experiment, here is how my test of one turned out:

http://www.active.com/cycling/Articles/Acclimating-to-Altitude-Before-a-Race_-Pa\
rt-Two.htm

Gale

European Journal of Applied Physiology has printed an article that may
assist further...
G., Kenny & O.,Jay (2007) Evidence of a greater onset threshold for
sweating in females following intense exercise

Abstract can be found here
http://www.springerlink.com/content/25850p7832774223/?
p=4553c469aa6a4756be913af42192da7b&pi=0

Dear List members
Our new sportscience/rehab clinic in Hong Kong needs a reliable/valid
automated gas analysis system and we are considering a range of
options (such as Oxycon, Cortex, Parvo, Medgraphics etc).  I am
familiar with most of these systems, except the latest Medgraphics
CPX Ultima (it does more than we need and is certainly not the
cheapest, but many labs/hospitals in HK have it and some
compatibility is a bonus, but not critical).  Could anyone on the
list send any comments on how they have found the reliability (and
ideally the validity) of the CPX Ultima (no one seems to have
published a study on this - but brutally honest anecdotal comments
from users are often even more valuable).  If you own/use one of
these, can you please send a brief comment to me on how good is it,
any problems, and with the benefit of hindsight would you buy another
one?
Any help much appreciated.
Regards
Dr Duncan Macfarlane
Hong Kong University

The School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University
(Lismore Campus), Australia, is seeking to appoint a Lecturer in the
Department of Exercise Science and Sport Management. The Department
delivers a number of undergraduate programs, including Sport and
Exercise Science, Exercise Science and Nutrition, and combined
degrees with other disciplines. The Department has a strong track
record in research and accepts postgraduate students at Masters and
PhD levels.

The successful applicant will undertake unit coordination, teaching
and curriculum development in the undergraduate Sport and Exercise
Science program, in the area of Motor Control and other related
discipline areas, for example, Motor Learning, Principles and
Practices of Sport and Exercise, or Human Growth, Development and
Ageing. The successful applicant will also supervise research
students (undergraduate and postgraduate), contribute to the research
profile of the Department and School by actively engaging in research
and contribute to the administration of the Department and School.

Vacancy ID: 27065
Position: Lecturer in Exercise Science (Motor Control)
Work Unit: School of Health and Human Sciences
Cost Centre: Faculty of Arts and Science
Campus:  Lismore
Appointment Type: Full time, continuing
Availability: External
Salary: $63,150pa - $74,859pa plus leave loading and employer's
contribution to superannuation
Closing Date: 24 September 2007
Open to Overseas Applicants: YES
	 *Indigenous Australians are encouraged to apply

Further information can be found at the University's web site:
www.scu.edu.au, or by contacting Associate Professor Shi Zhou:
shi.zhou@...


Shi Zhou, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Head of Department
Department of Exercise Science & Sport Management
Southern Cross University - Lismore
NSW 2480, Australia
Tel: (International + 612, in Australia + 02) 66203991
Fax: (International + 612, in Australia + 02) 66203880
E-mail: shi.zhou@...
http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/hahs/index.php

ASSISTANT/ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR POSITION IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
AND PUBLIC HEALTH
Department of Kinesiology
Kansas State University

The Department of Kinesiology at Kansas State University invites
applications for a tenure track position at the assistant/associate level in
the broad area of physical activity and public health. Successful candidates
will be expected to contribute to the undergraduate and graduate Kinesiology
program and may contribute to the master¹s program in public health
(www.k-state.edu/mphealth). A focus on physical activity behavior change
theory, childhood obesity prevention, and health promotion in underserved
communities are of interest.

Candidates at the assistant professor level are required to have:

1. Completed PhD or equivalent in any of the psychological, socio-cultural,
or epidemiology areas within Kinesiology or a related field.
2. Research or educational background in exercise and physical activity.
3. A strong quantitative background.
4. Demonstrated potential for extramural funding.

Candidates at the assistant professor level are preferred to have:

1. Focus on interventions in community settings, underserved populations,
and/or physical activity behavior change theory.
2. Evidence of effective teaching and a willingness to work with a diverse
student population.
3. Postdoctoral experience.

In addition to the qualifications for an assistant professor position above,
candidates at the associate professor level are required to have at least 5
years of experience beyond the doctoral level and a track record of
extramural funding.

The Department of Kinesiology at Kansas State University is focused on the
needs of a diverse student body and provides education for more than 500
undergraduate majors and 35 graduate students The Kinesiology faculty has
developed excellent collaborative partnerships and research teams research
teams across campus and with community groups across the state. We are eager
to include new members with a common vision of physical activity promotion
and behavioral research. The department supports a number of active
laboratories that conduct research  in the areas of physical activity
interventions, behavioral medicine and exercise physiology and has a strong
history of securing extramural funding from national (e.g., National
Institutes of Health, USDA) and state organizations (e.g., Kansas Health
Foundation, Kansas Department of Health and Environment.)  The Department
maintains an active collaboration with the Community Health Institute
(www.kstatechi.org), the Department of Human Nutrition and the Department of
Anatomy and Physiology.

The screening of applicants will begin November 15, 2007 and continue until
the position is filled. Salary will be commensurate with experience.
Expected start date is August 2008. Applicants should indicate if they are
seeking a position at the assistant or associate level and submit a
curriculum vita, brief description of research and teaching interests, and
the names and contact information of three references to:

Dr. Melissa Bopp
Search Committee Chair
1A Natatorium
Department of Kinesiology
Kansas State University
Manhattan KS 66502 -0302
e-mail: mbopp@...
Phone: (785) 532-7771
Kinesiology web site: www.k-state.edu/kines/

Kansas State University is an equal opportunity employer. KSU actively seeks
diversity among its employees.

We are offering a tenure track position in Kinesiology at Sac State
University in California.  Please see this link for more information.
  http://www.csus.edu/fas/vacancies/hhsvac.htm
Best Regards,
Roberto Quintana, PhD

Yours truly,

The following positions have recently been posted on www.HigherEdJobs.com.
We hope that this is helpful!

Assistant/Associate Professor - Sport Management
Institution: Illinois State University
Location: Normal, IL
Posted: 09/07/2007
Application Due: Open Until Filled
Type: Full Time
http://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?jobcode=175263890

Dean, School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation
Institution: Springfield College
Location: Springfield, MA
Posted: 08/14/2007
Application Due: Open Until Filled
Type: Full Time
http://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?jobcode=175259549

Fitness Coordinator
Institution: Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Location: Kutztown, PA
Posted: 09/07/2007
Application Due: Open Until Filled
Type: Full Time
Salary: 39,511 USD Per Year
http://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?jobcode=175263798

Assistant Athletic Trainer
Institution: Texas A&M International University
Location: Laredo, TX
Posted: 09/06/2007
Application Due: Open Until Filled
Type: Full Time
http://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?jobcode=175263485

Head Cross Country Coach
Institution: Wilberforce University
Location: Wilberforce, OH
Posted: 08/27/2007
Application Due: Open Until Filled
Type: Part-Time/Adjunct
http://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?jobcode=175261547

Campus Recreation Director
Institution: Manhattan College
Location: Riverdale, NY
Posted: 08/21/2007
Application Due: Open Until Filled
Type: Full Time
http://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?jobcode=175260669

Head Women's Cross Country/Track Coach and Instructor
Institution: Dakota State University
Location: Madison, SD
Posted: 08/14/2007
Application Due: Open Until Filled
Type: Full Time
http://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?jobcode=175259481

Paris [Kentucky] product boasts bionic power

IonX, a fabric treatment created by Kentucky Technical Textiles to help the body's energy output and recovery from exercise, has been unveiled as part of the festivities surrounding the Rugby World Cup...  Kentucky Technical Textiles has licensed the technology to Canterbury of New Zealand, a sports apparel company that has used IonX on rugby shirts that will be worn during the World Cup by teams from South Africa, Australia, Scotland and Ireland.  [But note, rugby fans: not by the All Blacks!]

Garments made with IonX, which is marketed as "Ionised Energy Fabric," create what Canterbury calls "a negatively charged electromagnetic field" around the wearer.

The ionization helps deliver oxygenated blood to the muscles, according to Canterbury and Kentucky Technical Textiles. That, they say, helps stimulate muscle activity, sustain high-intensity exercise and aid in recovery...

Dr. Leslie Crofford, a rheumatologist at the University of Kentucky, is planning a study of patients with osteoarthritis to see whether a fabric sleeve treated with IonX can help with knee pain and function...

Preliminary research at Loughborough University in England showed that athletes wearing IonX-treated clothing had "an improved level of power output during repeated, short duration maximal efforts," Mike Caine, director of Loughborough's Sports Technology Institute, said in Canterbury's press release.

The Future of Performance

IonX™ - Ionised Energy Fabric™ performance apparel and compression support delivers ionic energy to the body through a negatively charged electromagnetic field.

Electomagnetic fields saturated with negative ions have been used for decades by international militaries, international space programs and by olympic athletes to increase alertness, attentiveness and give an overall sense of well-being.

A double blind study conducted in the Sports Technolgy Laboratory at Loughborough University in England concluded that IonX™ represents a revolutionary apparel technology.

"IonX™ represents a revolutionary performance apprel technology. A study conducted in the Sports Technolgy Laboratory at Loughborough University showed a significant increase in repetitive, short duration, high intensity exercise performance (power output) in both competitive and recreational athletes when wearing IonX™ versus non-ionised control garments. This improvement is likely to be functionally relevant to all team sport players or indeed anybody undertaking repetitive bouts of high intensity exercise during training or performance" --Dr Mike Caine, Senior Lecture, Sports Technology, Loughborough University UK

List members may be interested in this recently advertised post.

Irish Institute of Sport - Technical Director

The Irish Institute of Sport was established in 2006 to support the development
of high performance sport in Ireland. The
Institute is performance focused, coach led and athlete centred. It is dedicated
to assisting athletes in their progression to the
highest levels in international sport, through the provsion of individualised
and team programmes and services.

The Institute is currently recruiting for the position of Technical Director on
a fixed term contract. This is an opportunity to
play a leading role in the Irish Institute of Sport , which will take high
performance sport in Ireland to a new level. In doing
so, the role will require: -

the provision of leadership and strategic direction to the IIS in all matters
related to high performance coaching
working with key stakeholders and agencies, including National Coaching and
Training Centre, National Governing Bodies of sport
and thrid level institutions
represnting the IIS in matters dealing with technical elements related to high
performance including facility provision, equipment
and technical innovations


Closing date for applications is noon on Friday 5th October 2007. All CVs should
be sent to Alan O'Hare, HR Executive, Irish
Sports Council, Top Floor, Block A, Westend Office Park, Blanchardstown, Dublin
15 or via email to aohare@....

Further information available at:
http://www.irishsportscouncil.ie/about-us-careers.aspx


Phil Moore
Athlete Services Director
Irish Institute of Sport

pmoore@...




Kind Regards
Phil

Phil Moore
Fellow in Academic Practice
Senior Lecturer, Sport Psychology
Department of Exercise & Sport Science
MMU Cheshire
Alsager, ST7 2HL
UK
Tel. +44161 247 5503
Skype philmoore61
http://www.mmu.ac.uk/c-a/exspsci/

Before acting on this email or opening any attachments you should read the
Manchester Metropolitan University's email disclaimer available on its website
http://www.mmu.ac.uk/emaildisclaimer

Dear Sportscience list,

I'm looking to purchase used metabolic cart and wondering if anybody
could recommend a dealer? or alternatively have a metabolic cart they'd
like to sell.

Any brand/unit considered
Shipping anywhere from the world to Australia ok.

Thank you.

Wayne

Dear friends,
The 4th ISAK level 1 International Accreditation course on
Anthropometry  is to be held from 17th  to 21st December, 2007  at
Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata , India,  For details go through the
website of International Society for the Advancement of
Kinanthropometry at www.isakonline.com  or contact Dr. Anup Adhikari
at dranupadhikari@...

Regards
Anup Adhikari, Ph.D
Exercise Physiologist , L3 Kianthropometrist
& Photoscopic Somatotype Rater ( ISAK)
Center for Wellness and Research (CWR)
Kolkata –70055
India

Dear Sport Scientists,

I'm wondering if anybody is aware of an electromagnetic braking device
for de-loading weights in power cages?
There is a popular brand made in Australia, however, I'm trying to find
similar devices so that we can compare in price and functionality.

Thanks

Dear Sportscience community,

First of all, I apologizes for this bulk mailing (and cross posting) and
appreciate your understanding.

This mini questionnaire is primarily for:

1. Those who are currently serving or served in the past as chairs/heads of
academic departments or units in any US institutions
2. Those who are currently serving or served in the past on the
institution's IRB (Institutional Review Board) in any US institutions

These criteria, however, do not exclude those who are with non-US
institutions. Any inputs are welcome.

The key issue in this questionnaire is THE ROLE OF THE DEPARTMENT/UNIT
CHAIR/HEAD IN THE IRB APPLICATION PROCESS.

Background: Here at TWU, we are currently having some debates/discussions
regarding the role of the department chair in the process of filing
thesis/dissertation, prospectus (proposal), and IRB application. The core of
the controversy is the power and responsibility of the department chair that
come with his/her signature on different documents/forms. We even see a
trend of tying chair's signature with some kind of legal
responsibilities/liabilities here. Among the processes, the most
controversial one is the IRB application: the role (or power) of the
department chair in the IRB application process. Although I am aware that
some institutions do not even require department chair's signature on the
IRB form, it seems most institutions require chair's signature on the form.
The trouble is that, in most cases, there is no written policy statement
that defines the meanings of the department chair's signature on the form.
Your input on this issue will allow us to better understand the common
practices and wisdom in regards to the role and power of a department chair
in various processes. It will enable us to clarify issues that we have now
and reshape our IRB process. I will post the summary to the list for those
who are interested in this issue.

------------------------------------------------
THE ROLE OF THE DEPARTMENT/UNIT CHAIR/HEAD IN THE IRB APPLICATION PROCESS
QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Full name of your institution

2. Your position (current or previous; chair or IRB member)

3. Does your institution require department/unit chair's signature on the
IRB form? (If the answer is 'NO', skip the rest. Thanks for your input!)

4. What is the department/unit chair's role in the IRB process? Simply an
administrative step? The chair must read the application thoroughly and
approve the contents (study design and IRB protocols)? Or somewhere in
between? (You may separate your institution's regulations and what you
believe it should be, if they are different.)

REGULATIONS:

PERSONAL BELIEF:

5. What do you think are the key concepts that define the role of the
department chair in the IRB process? (Academic freedom, professionalism,
responsibilities, liabilities, etc.)

6. Does the chair's signature on the form imply any professional or legal
responsibilities/liabilities? (Again, you may separate your institution's
regulations and your belief.)

REGULATIONS:

PERSONAL BELIEF:

7. If your institution have any policy/position statements in the
regulations and/or on the IRB form related to this issue, please include
them here.

The end: Thanks for your input!
------------------------------------------------

I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks a million!

Young-Hoo Kwon
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Young-Hoo Kwon, Ph.D.
Director, Biomechanics Laboratory
Associate Professor of Kinesiology
Texas Woman's University
P O Box 425647
Denton, TX 76204-5647
USA
Office & Fax: +1-940-898-2598
Email: ykwon@... / kwon3d@...
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