My question
I have been collecting data for my thesis research and realized I may have an ethical issue. I surveyed 450 college students about their academic stress and mental health. The survey was anonymous, but I am now questioning whether I need IRB approval retroactively.
The situation:
- The survey was done purely as pilot research before my formal thesis proposal
- I used Google Forms and data was stored on my university Google Drive
- No personally identifying information was collected
- This is at an Indian university (not a US institution)
What are the ethics review requirements for student survey research in Indian universities? Is anonymous pilot data typically exempt?