Imagine being told that you are receiving treatment for an illness when in actuality the scientists are studying how the disease spreads and kills. This was a reality for 400 black men from Macon County Alabama. This is one example of why it is imperative to have Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). There is a need for regulating studies because causing damage to people not worth the possible benefits of a study. Researchers should only have freedom if their experiment is if there the harm is as low as possible and the benefit maximised. Researchers should have the freedom to be able to try and design research projects that fit common guidelines and rules enforced by the IRBs.
One of the most important regulations is informed consent. Informed consent is crucial because there may be studies where possible harm is unavoidable, but there could be great benefits. It's important that the people participating in that type are fully aware of the possible outcomes. The investigations also have to be explained to them in ways that they understand, not with big scientific wording just meant to be confusing. An example of a case study that shows the importance of the subjects being aware of what they are agreeing to is the Yanomami Indian tribes and their blood. The “Yanomami were promised that Neel’s blood samples would be analyzed to discover information helpful …show more content…
Laura Stark, author of Behind Closed Doors: IRBs and the Making of Ethical Research, explains this as the “many ways in which IRB administrators and members can interpret the rules.” This could cause difficulties to researchers because it's more unclear on how they should set up their investigations in order to get approved. It could be set up similar to the judiciary system in the U.S. where there is a top board, like the supreme court, that interrupts the rules and then sets precedents for other
One of the most important regulations is informed consent. Informed consent is crucial because there may be studies where possible harm is unavoidable, but there could be great benefits. It's important that the people participating in that type are fully aware of the possible outcomes. The investigations also have to be explained to them in ways that they understand, not with big scientific wording just meant to be confusing. An example of a case study that shows the importance of the subjects being aware of what they are agreeing to is the Yanomami Indian tribes and their blood. The “Yanomami were promised that Neel’s blood samples would be analyzed to discover information helpful …show more content…
Laura Stark, author of Behind Closed Doors: IRBs and the Making of Ethical Research, explains this as the “many ways in which IRB administrators and members can interpret the rules.” This could cause difficulties to researchers because it's more unclear on how they should set up their investigations in order to get approved. It could be set up similar to the judiciary system in the U.S. where there is a top board, like the supreme court, that interrupts the rules and then sets precedents for other