What might the IRB decide regarding a professor writing a biography based on interviews with personal contacts of the subject?

The reasoning behind the IRB not reviewing this study as research under federal regulations stems from the nature of the project. Federal regulations define research as a systematic investigation designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge. In this scenario, the biography being written based on interviews with personal contacts might primarily focus on the life of an individual without seeking to draw conclusions that could apply broadly across populations or contribute to the general body of knowledge.

Since the intention appears to be more of a personal narrative or documentary study rather than a systematic investigation aimed at answering research questions in a way that produces generalizable data, the IRB may find that this does not meet the criteria for what constitutes research that necessitates review. As a result, they could determine that it falls outside their purview and therefore does not require the same level of scrutiny as other types of research involving human subjects.