Module 5 Assignment 1

Conclusion

The importance of ethics in research is not to be underestimated. Ethical standards and guidelines must be adhered to. The IRB is in place to serve as an essential system of checks and balances in order to quell the enthusiasm of any overeager researchers who might not be taking into account the ways in which their research could potentially adversely impact participants. IRB approval is required as research cannot be conducted without it. Researchers must design their studies with consideration for their participants in mind so that they will be able to obtain IRB approval. The IRB does allow deception in research but only in cases when the deception is not likely to cause undue harm and only when the information cannot be obtained another way. The IRB is primarily concerned with the protection of research participants, in particular individuals who are considered vulnerable due to physical or cognitive differences. Ethics in research also involves making efforts to recruit diverse populations so that the results can be generalizable to the larger population. While the IRB is not specifically tasked with focusing on diversity among research participants, a decision to exclude specific groups would need to be disclosed to the IRB, along with a justifiable rationale for doing so. The IRB would be unlikely to approve research that excludes a group without the exclusion being specifically related to the research topic. Ultimately, the IRB offers a layer of protection for the researcher so that in the unlikely event of an unanticipated adverse reaction from a participant, the researcher can demonstrate that he or she made good-faith efforts to conduct the research as ethically and humanely as possible.