Ethics Review Boards for Research With Human Participants: Past, Present, and Future

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Research Ethics
• Academic Practice

Background:

• Ethics review boards (IRBs) are central to academic practice and discourse.
• Existing review systems face ongoing debate regarding their effectiveness and approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize findings from an international workshop on improving ethics review processes.
• To develop recommendations for a more effective and respectful research oversight system.

Main Methods:

• Convened a workshop with 27 academics from nine countries across four continents.
• Facilitated interdisciplinary discussions based on presented data and viewpoints.
• Synthesized participant input to formulate a set of recommendations.

Main Results:

• Recommendations include transitioning from a review to an advisory and validation system.
• Emphasis shifted towards a respectful research approach with participants, not just "ethical" research.
• Proposed a feedback-focused procedure allowing researchers to respond to reviews.

Conclusions:

• The current ethics review system can be enhanced by adopting an advisory and validation model.
• Prioritizing respectful participant engagement and responsive feedback mechanisms is crucial.
• Recognizing the need for flexibility and researcher input in the review process.