Research ethics

This article reviews the ethical requirements for research. The ethics of human experimentation are informed by the basic principles of beneficence, justice and respect for persons. The principle of beneficence requires that a research protocol present a favourable risk/benefit ratio to subjects. Justice demands that the burden and benefits of research be equitably distributed. Respect for persons entails an obligation both to obtain informed consent from research subjects and to protect those who are unable to consent from the risks of research. The fundamental tenet of research ethics is a prior review by a panel of peers. This article argues for the establishment of Research Ethics Committees across the Caribbean to ensure that clinical research conforms to the highest scientific and ethical standards.