What is the primary role of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?

What is the primary role of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?

• A. Designing experiments
• B. Protecting the rights and welfare of human subjects
• C. Recruiting participants
• D. Analyzing data

Answer: (B)

An IRB exists to act as an ethical safeguard for people in research. It reviews proposed studies to ensure that risks to participants are minimized, potential benefits outweigh those risks, and that the rights and welfare of subjects are protected throughout the study. They assess the informed consent process to ensure it is clear, voluntary, and understands risks and procedures, and they evaluate plans for protecting privacy and safeguarding data. They also check that who is chosen to participate is fair and that protections are in place for vulnerable groups. If any issues are found, the IRB can require changes or halt the study. In essence, the IRB oversees ethical conduct and participant safety, rather than designing experiments, recruiting participants, or analyzing data.

An IRB exists to act as an ethical safeguard for people in research. It reviews proposed studies to ensure that risks to participants are minimized, potential benefits outweigh those risks, and that the rights and welfare of subjects are protected throughout the study. They assess the informed consent process to ensure it is clear, voluntary, and understands risks and procedures, and they evaluate plans for protecting privacy and safeguarding data. They also check that who is chosen to participate is fair and that protections are in place for vulnerable groups. If any issues are found, the IRB can require changes or halt the study. In essence, the IRB oversees ethical conduct and participant safety, rather than designing experiments, recruiting participants, or analyzing data.