Which statement best describes the role of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) in research involving human subjects?

Which statement best describes the role of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) in research involving human subjects?

• A. IRBs protect human subjects by reviewing research to ensure ethical standards are met.
• B. IRBs optimize statistical power of the study.
• C. IRBs determine the study's funding source.
• D. IRBs enforce publication embargoes on the results.

Answer: (A)

IRBs protect human subjects by reviewing research to ensure ethical standards are met. They examine how risks are minimized, whether the potential benefits justify those risks, how informed consent will be obtained and understood, and how privacy and confidentiality will be protected. They also ensure that subject selection is fair and that protections are in place for vulnerable populations. The board conducts pre-study review and ongoing oversight, making required modifications or stopping research if safeguards are insufficient. This protective duty reflects principles like respect for persons, beneficence, and justice, and is grounded in federal regulations. IRBs do not optimize statistical power, determine funding sources, or enforce publication embargoes—those aspects belong to study designers, funders, and journals.

IRBs protect human subjects by reviewing research to ensure ethical standards are met. They examine how risks are minimized, whether the potential benefits justify those risks, how informed consent will be obtained and understood, and how privacy and confidentiality will be protected. They also ensure that subject selection is fair and that protections are in place for vulnerable populations. The board conducts pre-study review and ongoing oversight, making required modifications or stopping research if safeguards are insufficient.

This protective duty reflects principles like respect for persons, beneficence, and justice, and is grounded in federal regulations. IRBs do not optimize statistical power, determine funding sources, or enforce publication embargoes—those aspects belong to study designers, funders, and journals.