A committee that reviews research proposals to protect human subjects?

A committee that reviews research proposals to protect human subjects?

• A. Institutional Review Board (IRB)
• B. Debriefing
• C. Deception
• D. Belmont Report (1979)

Answer: (A)

Institutional Review Boards oversee research involving human subjects to protect their welfare. They review research proposals before any study begins, evaluating risks and ensuring they are minimized relative to potential benefits, confirming that informed consent will be obtained and understood, and checking that privacy and data protections are in place. The IRB can approve the study, require modifications to address ethical concerns, or disapprove it if protections aren’t adequate. This hands-on review and ongoing oversight is what makes the IRB the best answer for who protects participants in human-subject research. Debriefing is the post-study explanation given to participants, especially if deception was involved. Deception is a methodological tactic that may require IRB scrutiny but is not a review body itself. The Belmont Report is a foundational document outlining ethical principles—respect for persons, beneficence, and justice—that guide research ethics but does not perform reviews.

Institutional Review Boards oversee research involving human subjects to protect their welfare. They review research proposals before any study begins, evaluating risks and ensuring they are minimized relative to potential benefits, confirming that informed consent will be obtained and understood, and checking that privacy and data protections are in place. The IRB can approve the study, require modifications to address ethical concerns, or disapprove it if protections aren’t adequate. This hands-on review and ongoing oversight is what makes the IRB the best answer for who protects participants in human-subject research.

Debriefing is the post-study explanation given to participants, especially if deception was involved. Deception is a methodological tactic that may require IRB scrutiny but is not a review body itself. The Belmont Report is a foundational document outlining ethical principles—respect for persons, beneficence, and justice—that guide research ethics but does not perform reviews.