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The ethical contours of research in crisis settings: five practical considerations for academic institutional review boards and researchers
Author(s) -
Falb Kathryn,
Laird Betsy,
Ratnayake Ruwan,
Rodrigues Katherine,
Annan Jeannie
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
disasters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.744
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1467-7717
pISSN - 0361-3666
DOI - 10.1111/disa.12398
Subject(s) - engineering ethics , research ethics , public relations , political science , informed consent , ethical issues , natural disaster , institutional review board , field (mathematics) , psychology , medicine , engineering , alternative medicine , psychiatry , physics , mathematics , pathology , meteorology , pure mathematics
The number of research studies in the humanitarian field is rising. It is imperative, therefore, that institutional review boards (IRBs) consider carefully the additional risks present in crisis contexts to ensure that the highest ethical standards are upheld. Ethical guidelines should represent better the specific issues inherent to research among populations grappling with armed conflict, disasters triggered by natural hazards, or health‐related emergencies. This paper seeks to describe five issues particular to humanitarian settings that IRBs should deliberate and on which they should provide recommendations to overcome associated challenges: staged reviews of protocols in acute emergencies; flexible reviews of modification requests; addressing violence and the traumatic experiences of participants; difficulties in attaining meaningful informed consent among populations dependent on aid; and ensuring reviews are knowledgeable of populations' needs. Considering these matters when reviewing protocols will yield more ethically sound research in humanitarian settings and hold researchers accountable to appropriate ethical standards.