Terms

Who we are

The practice behind wguirb.com is an independent consultation practice. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by Western Governors University. WGU, Western Governors University and related marks are trademarks of Western Governors University; all other marks belong to their respective owners. References on this site to WGU's process describe WGU's current handbook and portal as publicly presented and may change; where they conflict, WGU's current handbook or IRB portal is the authority.

What the service is

We handle the IRB process for a WGU capstone, end to end, in the package you choose: the reading of which branch the project is on and the document plan; every document, including the application, the consent file, recruitment materials, instruments alignment, the data-security plan and site permission letters drafted for signature; and, on Full Handover, the submission through WGU's current portal and every reply to the board (revision responses, amendments, continuing review) until approval. The free application review is the entry to all of it and carries no obligation. How it works and what each package carries describe the scope in full.

What the service is not

• We do not conduct the research. The question, the design, the data, the analysis, the findings and the write-up are yours. We do not author results or collect data on your behalf.
• We do not represent any university. We are not WGU's IRB office, we do not speak for it, and nothing on this site is a statement of WGU's requirements; WGU's current handbook and portal are.
• We do not decide, and we do not promise. The determination, the category, the approval, any conditions and their timing are the board's own. We make no representation about what the board will decide or how long it will take, and we do not quote review durations or our own turnaround times.
• We do not give legal advice. Questions of law, regulation or institutional policy should go to the appropriate counsel or office.

Your part

You are responsible for the accuracy of what you tell us about the project, the site and the data, because the reading and every document rest on it; for completing in your own name whatever WGU's current handbook requires of you, such as the human-subjects training record and your signatures; for obtaining the facility's signature on the site permission letter we draft; for following the approved protocol and the board's conditions once the letter arrives; and for not beginning collection before the approval or written determination exists. If you file the package yourself, the filing is yours.

Quotes and fees

Fees are quoted in writing after the free application review, as a fixed fee for a named package, with no hourly billing. The written quote states what the package covers and how it is paid, and it is the document that governs the engagement; nothing on this site is a price. Work on a package begins on your written acceptance of its quote. Where a project turns out to sit on a heavier branch than the reading expected, we say so and quote the larger package in writing before doing the larger work.

Confidentiality

What you send us about your project, your site and yourself is used to do the work and for nothing else; the privacy page sets out the detail. We do not disclose your file to WGU, a facility or anyone else except as the work requires and you direct, for instance when we carry a site permission request.

The site itself

The text, drawings and the decision tree on this site are the practice's and are offered for your personal use in understanding the IRB step of a capstone. You may read, link to and quote short passages with attribution; you may not copy the site or its instruments for republication or resale. The tree and the answers on this site are general readings, not advice about your specific project, and not a substitute for WGU's current handbook, WGU's IRB office or your own judgement. We try to keep everything here accurate and current and cannot guarantee that it is.

Testimonials and figures

Testimonials are from professionals the practice has served, used with permission under first name and initial, and describe their own files; they do not promise a result for yours. The track-record figures on this site are the practice's own across the professionals it has served.

Changes and contact

These terms may be revised; the revision date at the top changes when they are. Questions about them go to hello@wguirb.com.