Question

In regards to human research (IRB). In your opinion do you think that there may be excessive controls in place over research. We are all aware of atrocities such as the Tuskegee experiment and the MK ultra projects that performed research on unknowing people. But in those instances, where full disclosure and acceptance by the participants has been received. Is there truly a need in your opinion for all the red tape?

Answer 1

The need for formal rules and regulations that govern research is crucial for its smooth functioning. Informed consent is considered to be of great importance, especially while conducting a research. This means that the participants being involved in the study must be made aware of the true purpose behind the study. Although there is a chance that this may cause a certain level of social desirability, thereby leading to manipulation of results, its considered to be crucial for the sake of ethcial guidelines. In case of an ill-informed participant, there is misuse of personnel taking place.This is so because ethically, each individual is considered autonomous in terms of being the navigator of their own life decisions. Upon knowing the purpose of a study, if a participant chooses to opt out of the study, they must be given full liberty to do so in order to maintain their own rights. Also, for the sake of protecting participants from any intentional harm of sorts, it is of crucial importance that the exact purpose and methodology of study is known to them before they decide to participate. In case of minors too, consent of a parent/guardian is important to get the research study started. In case of research, this step to beginning the process is inevitable and must not be undermined due to any reason.