Inconsistency
Examples:

• The research description says that interviews will take 15 minutes, yet the script for the consent process states that the interview will take 30 minutes.
• The protocol says that one of the study populations will be children and the survey asks subjects to provide their marital status: married, single, or divorced.

Incomplete description of research procedures

• Remember, the reviewer needs to put him or herself in the shoes of the subject and cannot do so if there isn't enough detail in the protocol. You may wish to think about your research as a series of steps or create a time line for your study. These processes could make it easier for you to describe the research and may be helpful for you when you are in the field.

Missing information

• Review the checklist of possible appendices at the end of the Application for Protocol Approval and be sure you have included the necessary documents.
• Even if you will have to fine tune your questionnaires or interview questions in the field, the IRB^* needs to have preliminary surveys and/or interview questions. As noted in the application form, if you plan to conduct open-ended interviews, you need to include sample questions in the protocol application.