Ethical review board

Definition

An ethical review board is a committee that is responsible for reviewing research proposals to ensure that they meet ethical standards and protect the rights and welfare of participants. These boards play a crucial role in overseeing research involving human subjects, ensuring compliance with ethical guidelines and regulations.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Ethical review boards are essential in promoting ethical standards in research, helping to prevent potential harm to participants.
2. These boards assess factors such as risk-benefit analysis, informed consent, and confidentiality before approving a study.
3. The establishment of ethical review boards became more prevalent after events like the Tuskegee Syphilis Study highlighted the need for participant protection.
4. Researchers are often required to submit their study proposals to an ethical review board before commencing any research involving human subjects.
5. Decisions made by ethical review boards can lead to modifications in research proposals or even disapproval of studies deemed unethical.

Review Questions

• How does an ethical review board contribute to protecting the rights and welfare of research participants?
  • An ethical review board contributes to protecting participants by thoroughly reviewing research proposals to ensure that they adhere to established ethical guidelines. This includes evaluating whether informed consent processes are adequate, assessing potential risks versus benefits, and ensuring confidentiality is maintained. By enforcing these standards, the board helps mitigate risks associated with participation and safeguards the dignity of individuals involved in research.
• Discuss the significance of informed consent in the review process conducted by an ethical review board.
  • Informed consent is a critical component of the ethical review process, as it ensures that participants are fully aware of what their involvement entails. Ethical review boards scrutinize how researchers plan to obtain informed consent, including whether participants are provided with clear and comprehensive information about the study's purpose, procedures, risks, and benefits. By emphasizing informed consent, the boards uphold the autonomy and rights of participants, making it a central focus during their evaluations.
• Evaluate the impact that historical unethical research practices have had on the formation and operation of ethical review boards today.
  • Historical unethical research practices, such as those revealed in the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and experiments conducted during WWII, have had a profound impact on the establishment and operation of ethical review boards. These events highlighted serious violations of participant rights and spurred public demand for accountability in research. Consequently, ethical review boards were formed to ensure rigorous oversight, transparency, and adherence to ethical principles, leading to comprehensive regulations that govern modern research involving human subjects.

Related terms

Institutional Review Board (IRB): An Institutional Review Board is a specific type of ethical review board that reviews research studies at an institution to ensure the protection of human subjects.

Informed Consent:

Informed consent is the process by which researchers provide potential participants with adequate information about a study, allowing them to make a knowledgeable decision about their participation.

Research Ethics: Research ethics refers to the moral principles and guidelines that govern the conduct of research, particularly regarding the treatment of human subjects.