Institutional Review Boards

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) have the primary responsibility of protecting the rights of human research participants and were created as the result of federal regulations. An Institutional Review Board (IRB) is found at universities, hospitals, and research organizations where faculty, staff, or students conduct research on human subjects. Comprised of a committee of professionals and subject matter experts in the field, the committee must approve a research plan before any research is started. This process can take weeks to months to complete, and each institution has policies about how to apply to the IRB.
  1. Describe the role and responsibilities of IRBs and discuss how an IRB, as well as researchers, can eliminate or mitigate potential ethical pitfalls in applied research.
       

Sample Solution