Today we talked about the IRB and the importance of protecting the people we will be studying. I will be working with "children" which is anyone under 18 years old and considered a vulnerable population. I don't think there are huge risks involved for many reasons. First, I think the whole concept of "parental consent" and being a "minor" may be foreign to people in Tonga. Tongans value education and so if students ask their parents for permission and if they say it's something for school, most parents would go ahead and allow it. I don't think I'll have problems getting parental consent, but I still think it's important for me to explain to the students why we have consent forms and things like that.
Two more months from today, we will be on our way to Tonga. I think it's starting to really hit me now! I'm nervous and excited! I'm kind of nervous that my project won't get approved in time and I will be in Tonga waiting. I'm also nervous that I won't be prepared or will be lost when I get there. Thinking about the many things that could possibly happen or go wrong, I also thought about things I could do now to prepare for those times. Some of the things I could do now include working hard on the IRB proposal, getting as much feedback as possible and making those changes, and working closely with my mentor to get guidance and advice on my project. I'm really excited to go and be among the people, especially the youth!
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