The new research ethic: will oversight requirements sink forensic research?

The conduct of research with human participants is facing increased scrutiny from government, media, and academic sources. Research oversight is consequently increasing dramatically as education and accreditation movements gain momentum. Institutional review boards themselves are undergoing significant changes in organization and accountability, implementing new tools to monitor investigator compliance. This article describes the causes of recent calls for increased scrutiny, the resultant trends in research oversight, and the general lack of preparation for increased costs in the public sector. These are costs that will be felt acutely in the forensic setting as diminishing state budgets affect hospitals, universities, and correctional institutions.