Last word on Ogi Ogas and ilk is that BU sez they aren't associated with, and they really wish he'd stop using their name. So it doesn't seem likely that the IRB will end up being part of this situation.

But, I really think you are correct that what we ought to see more of is good fandom-study driving out bad, FUBU, so to speak, and I live what I've seen of it so far, and I'd like to see more. I think if more fan-academics conducted more studies openly, too, fans would start to see what an ethically designed study looks like and be more suspicious of studies that don't resemble that. ("Wait, where's your statement on data retention?")