Document Type

Masters Project

Abstract

Human Subjects Research (HSR) participant payment processes are an underexamined but consequential component of research administration. At the University of Alaska, Anchorage (UAA), these processes op- erate within a complex institutional environment shaped by Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reporting rules, and administrative procedures that remain only partially formalized. This capstone project examined how HSR participant payment processes are implemented in practice at UAA and where meaningful gaps exist between institutional policy and real-world execution.

The study used a qualitative single-institution case study design combining semi-structured interviews with five Principal Investigators (PIs), document analysis, and peer-institution benchmarking. Interview data were coded inductively in Dedoose and interpreted alongside institutional guidance and comparative infor- mation on de minimis thresholds and payment practices at peer institutions. Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools, specifically Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT), were used in a limited methodological support role to support the researcher’s learning and application of qualitative coding proce- dures. All coding decisions, codebook development, and thematic interpretation remained the responsibility of the researcher.

Findings indicate that UAA’s current payment environment is structured primarily around compliance and auditability rather than research facilitation. Four interrelated themes emerged: compliance-driven system design, administrative burden and relational consequences, relationship-dependent operations and adaptive labor, and uneven effects of standardized systems across participant populations. Together, these findings suggest that payment processes are not merely administrative transactions, but ethically and operationally significant points of contact that shape participant trust, researcher capacity, and the accessibility of research participation.

The project contributes a benchmarking brief, a structured analysis of current workflow challenges, and recommendations for strengthening Principal Investigator (PI) training and institutional guidance, including proposed additions to the Sponsored Project Resource Manual. Overall, the study provides an evidence- informed foundation for improving clarity, consistency, and participant-centered practice in HSR payment administration at UAA.

Publication Date

5-1-2026

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