Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Definition

An Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a committee established to review and approve research involving human subjects, ensuring that ethical standards are upheld and participants' rights are protected. It plays a crucial role in overseeing research protocols, assessing risks and benefits, and ensuring compliance with ethical guidelines to promote the welfare of participants.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. IRBs are mandated by federal regulations in the United States to review research proposals that involve human subjects, ensuring compliance with ethical standards.
2. The primary goal of an IRB is to protect the rights and welfare of research participants while facilitating valuable scientific research.
3. IRBs assess research protocols for potential risks, ensuring that risks are minimized and justified by potential benefits.
4. All IRB members must have relevant expertise and training in ethical research practices, ensuring a thorough review process.
5. Research cannot begin until it has received IRB approval, which demonstrates the commitment to ethical conduct in research involving human subjects.

Review Questions

• How does an Institutional Review Board (IRB) ensure that research involving human subjects is conducted ethically?
  • An Institutional Review Board (IRB) ensures ethical research by reviewing study proposals to assess potential risks and benefits. It requires researchers to minimize risks to participants while maximizing potential benefits. The IRB also mandates informed consent processes, ensuring participants understand their rights and the nature of the study. This thorough oversight helps maintain ethical standards throughout the research process.
• What are the key responsibilities of an IRB when evaluating a research proposal involving human subjects?
  • When evaluating a research proposal, an IRB is responsible for assessing the study's ethical implications, including the risk-benefit ratio. It ensures that informed consent is appropriately obtained and that participants' confidentiality is safeguarded. The IRB also checks if there are provisions for monitoring the ongoing safety of participants throughout the study. These responsibilities help protect human subjects while allowing valuable research to proceed.
• Evaluate the impact of institutional review boards on the advancement of public health research while maintaining participant safety and rights.
  • Institutional review boards (IRBs) significantly impact public health research by balancing the need for scientific advancement with the ethical obligation to protect participants. By rigorously reviewing protocols, IRBs help ensure that studies adhere to high ethical standards, which fosters public trust in research. This oversight encourages researchers to design safer studies while promoting innovative methods that can lead to improvements in public health. Ultimately, IRBs play a vital role in enabling meaningful research without compromising participant safety and rights.

Related terms

Informed Consent: The process by which researchers provide potential participants with comprehensive information about the study, allowing them to make an informed decision about their participation.

Ethical Guidelines: A set of principles that guide researchers in conducting studies ethically, focusing on respect for persons, beneficence, and justice.

Human Subjects Research: Research that involves collecting data from or about living individuals, requiring careful ethical consideration and oversight.