Community-based participatory research and the ethics review process

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Public Health Research

Background:

• Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) involves academic researchers collaborating with community partners on local issues.
• CBPR often addresses non-clinical research questions, presenting unique considerations for ethical review.
• Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) oversee research ethics, but their processes may not always align with CBPR principles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the experiences of CBPR researchers with the IRB review process.
• To identify challenges and benefits encountered by CBPR partnerships during IRB review.
• To gather recommendations for enhancing the IRB process for CBPR projects.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory study utilizing the Constant Comparative Method.
• Analysis of semi-structured interviews with ten CBPR researchers.
• Interview questions focused on conceptualization of research, community partner involvement, and IRB process experiences.

Main Results:

• CBPR researchers reported challenges in aligning their research conceptualization with IRB definitions.
• Varying levels of community partner involvement in the IRB process were observed.
• Both benefits and challenges were identified in the IRB review of CBPR projects.

Conclusions:

• Suggestions are provided for IRB reviewers to better understand and facilitate CBPR projects.
• Recommendations are offered to CBPR partners to navigate the IRB process more effectively.
• Strengthening the IRB process requires tailored approaches for community-engaged research.