An institutional review board (IRB) oversees research with human subjects to ensure adherence to ethical guidelines and lawful practices. Researchers must submit proposals to the IRB, which has the power to deny or request changes to the study. The IRB also reviews finished studies and works to prevent future problems.
An institutional review board (IRB) is a group of individuals who oversee research with human subjects. IRBs can be seen at educational institutions that conduct research with human subjects, along with pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and other organizations that use humans in their research. The purpose of an institutional review board is to evaluate all proposed studies with humans to confirm they adhere to ethical guidelines, monitor ongoing research, and periodically vet researchers, ensuring that all research conducted at the institution is lawful and ethics.
Studies with human subjects can range from interviewing people that a sociology graduate student might conduct to testing new medical devices on people with particular conditions. In all cases, before people are allowed to work with humans, they must submit a proposal to the institutional review board. The proposal outlines the nature of the work, explains why human subjects need to be used, and demonstrates that the researcher considered the risks to the subjects and took steps to mitigate them.
Panel members review the information and ask questions about the research if they feel things need to be clarified. The researcher also presents the informed consent forms that will be used by the subjects for the review. The institutional review board has the power to deny the study altogether or to request changes to the study methodology in order to address the concerns. Committee members may also ask for revision of informed consent forms if these forms appear incomplete or may confuse subjects.
Once a study has been approved by the institutional review board, the investigator can proceed with subject recruitment and study execution. At any time, committee members may request to review research materials. These reviews will be used to confirm that the investigator is conducting the study as described in the application process and to identify any risks or concerns. If the study appears to endanger subjects, the IRB may suspend or cancel the study until the issue is resolved.
Institutional review committees also review finished studies, verify records, and meet regularly with study participants and designers. Committee members keep track of all ongoing studies, completed studies, and their results. When studies go wrong, board members work together to find out what happened and why, in order to develop plans to prevent similar problems in the future.
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