Virtue Ethics for CBPR? Research Ethics in the Academic Literature

Community-based participatory research (CBPR), by definition, includes communities as partners in the research process. Therefore, although individual research participants (also known as “human subjects”) may be sufficiently protected, the barriers and risks of full community participation will also need to be addressed. Are the ethical principles of “autonomy,” “nonmaleficence,” “beneficence,” and “justice” enough or do [...]

Syphilis, Lead Paint and the IRB: Research Ethics in the Academic Literature

Many of the current human subject protections were formed with the disastrous consequences of the well-known Tuskegee Syphilis Study in mind. While we all hope that these rules have made the practice of human subjects research safer, they cannot prevent future disasters without the reliable performance of the individuals and organizations. The Kennedy Krieger Institute [...]

Disclosing Adverse Clinical Trials Results: Research Ethics in the Academic Literature

In a recent “target article” for an AJOB Open Peer Commentary, S. Matthew Liao, Mark Sheehan and Steve Clarke make a case for a moral duty to disclose all adverse clinical trial results to potential participants. They argue, in short, that consent is not “informed” when participants lack risk information. Pharmaceutical companies, however, have an [...]

Pediatric Biobanks: Research Ethics in the Academic Literature

Have you ever tried to find an old friend from school? Where did they move? Did they change their name? It is not always easy, is it? Well, imagine that you are trying to find a few hundred research subjects to get consent to use their pediatric data or tissue in a research study. Sure, [...]

REBs and Inclusion: Research Ethics in the Academic Literature (REAL)

In a recent paper, Holly A. Taylor reports the results of a study on the role of the NIH inclusion guidelines and the attitudes of IRB administrators. Administrators of Research Ethics Boards (REBs) agree that the topic of including women, minorities, and children in research is “often discussed by their Boards”. While most REB administrators [...]