Question.1238 - Consider one of the following ethical dilemmas that may face a researcher. In 3-4 sentences describe ways you might anticipate the each problem and actively address it in a research proposal. A prisoner you are interviewing tells you about a potential breakout at the prison that night. What do you do? a researcher on your team copies sentences from another study and incorporates them into the final written report for your project. What do you do? A student collects data for a project from several individuals interviewed in families in your city. After the fourth interview, the student tells you that approval has not been received for the project from the IRB. What will you do?
Answer Below:
Hello everyone, I would like to work on the third ethical dilemma pertaining to a student who, without the approval of the Institutional Review Board (IRB), has been gathering first-person interview data. Firstly, anticipating the problem - that is, before the team could start any research, a clear communication and expectation agenda needs to be established that conveys ethical responsibilities to abide by, one among them is not to gather the data until IRB gives the green light to the research especially when involving human subjects. Actively Addressing the Issue:- Immediate Action: Halt data collection by stopping the student from conducting any further interviews immediately. Emphasize the ethical and legal implications of proceeding without IRB approval. Inform participants by notifying the individuals who have already been interviewed about the situation and apologize for any inconvenience or anxiety caused. Explain the IRB process and offer to answer any questions they may have. Evaluate the Data Collected: Assess potential harm by analyzing the collected data to determine if any harm or risk was posed to the participants due to the lack of IRB approval. This includes considering possible psychological, emotional, or privacy concerns. In making a decision on data, considering no harm is deemed likely, choosing to anonymize the data and discard it to avoid ethical concerns. Alternatively, if anonymization isn't possible and the data holds significant value, consider seeking retroactive IRB approval, explaining the extenuating circumstances. Preventative Measures: Review procedures by evaluating the team's research protocols and training to identify any loopholes that allowed this to happen. Strengthen policies, implement stricter guidelines, and ensure clear communication about IRB requirements for all team members. Regular monitoring by establishing regular checks and procedures to ensure adherence to ethical research practices.More Articles From Medicine