Individuals planning to conduct research projects with animals or human subjects must contact the appropriate office at their institution to ensure that they obtain any required training and approvals before the start of their work.
Review some of the key concepts for this module by selecting the "check" if you think the statement is correct, or select the "cross" if you think the statement is incorrect. Read the feedback before clicking "Next" to move onto the next statement.
Reflect on the eight statements, and consider if they are correct or incorrect. Then continue on for some feedback.
Statement 1 of 8
Respect for persons, beneficence, and justice are the three ethical principles stated in the Belmont Report.
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Correct. These principles form the basis for the ethical framework that guides the use of human subjects in research.
Incorrect. These principles were stated in the Belmont Report and form the basis for the ethical framework that guides the use of human subjects in research.
Statement 2 of 8
The 3 Rs (replace, reduce, refine) are the key principles that ensure ethical treatment of animals in research.
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Correct. Following the 3 Rs (replace, reduce, refine) when designing a project with animal subjects will help minimize and possibly avoid the use of animals in research.
Incorrect. The 3 Rs (replace, reduce, refine) are the three key ethical principles of research with animals. Following these principles when designing a project with animal subjects will help minimize and possibly avoid the use of animals in research.
Statement 3 of 8
The Belmont Report was a theoretical document that outlined the principles for ethical human research but did not explain the practical applications of these principles.
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Correct. The Belmont Report linked the three basic principles of research with human subjects (respect for persons, beneficence, and justice) with three specific practical applications for conducting the research (informed consent, assessment of risks and benefits, and selection of subjects).
Incorrect. The Belmont Report linked the three basic principles of research with human subjects (respect for persons, beneficence, and justice) with three specific practical applications that must be followed when conducting research with human subjects (informed consent, assessment of risks and benefits, and selection of subjects).
Statement 4 of 8
The principle of respect for persons means that the researcher has to obtain informed consent for any subjects that will participate in the study prior to conducting the research.
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Correct. The principle of respect for persons is applied through the practice of obtaining informed consent. That is, the researcher must inform the subject and ensure the subject understands the information and consents voluntarily, before the subject starts participating in the study.
Incorrect. The principle of respect for persons is applied through the practice of obtaining informed consent. That is, the researcher must inform the subject and ensure the subject understands the information and consents voluntarily, before the subject starts participating in the study.
Statement 5 of 8
The application of the principle of justice in the selection of subjects requires researchers to include special groups, such as children, in all research projects that involve human subjects.
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Correct. The principle of justice applied in the selection of subjects requires the selection to be fair. This means not excluding/including subjects based on biases, but it also means protecting vulnerable subjects such as children. Therefore, children and other vulnerable subjects should be specially protected and only involved in research under certain conditions.
Incorrect. The principle of justice applied in the selection of subjects requires the selection to be fair. This means not excluding/including subjects based on biases, but it also means protecting vulnerable subjects such as children. Therefore, children and other vulnerable subjects should be specially protected and only involved in research under certain conditions.
Statement 6 of 8
Training on the ethical principles of research with animals is only important for those who conduct research with animals.
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Correct. Everyone uses products or medical treatments that have been developed through research in animals, and thus being informed about the ethical guidelines that govern this type of research is important for all. However, only those conducting research with animals are required to undergo additional training on this subject.
Incorrect. Everyone uses products or medical treatments that have been developed through research in animals, and thus being informed about the ethical guidelines that govern this type of research is important for all. However, only those conducting research with animals are required to undergo additional training on this subject.
Statement 7 of 8
The principle of beneficence is applied through the assessment of risks and benefits, and ensures that human subjects participating in research are never harmed.
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Correct. Although many research studies result in no harm to the subjects, there are studies that have a potential risk for harm. For example, clinical trials always have the potential risk of a drug having side effects. The principle of beneficence requires researchers to determine all possible sources of potential risk and anticipated benefits, often in consultation with individuals from the participant populations, and ensure that the anticipated benefits are greater than the potential risks.
Incorrect. Although many research studies result in no harm to the subjects, there are studies that have a potential risk for harm. For example, clinical trials always have the potential risk of a drug having side effects. The principle of beneficence requires researchers to determine all possible sources of potential risk and anticipated benefits, often in consultation with individuals from the participant populations, and ensure that the anticipated benefits are greater than the potential risks.
Statement 8 of 8
Is it acceptable that in a project aimed at collecting information from a very diverse community to inform public policy, the survey is only distributed via email?
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Correct. The principle of justice emphasizes the importance of selecting subjects fairly. Distributing a survey by email will unfairly leave out those individuals who do not have Internet access or who cannot comfortably read the message and respond (e.g. people who are visually impaired, non-English speakers). A just survey distribution would consider these accessibility issues and provide multiple ways of distributing and responding to the survey to allow fair inclusion of everyone in the community.
Incorrect. The principle of justice emphasizes the importance of selecting subjects fairly. Distributing a survey by email will unfairly leave out those individuals who do not have Internet access or who cannot comfortably read the message and respond (e.g. people who are visually impaired, non-English speakers). A just survey distribution would consider these accessibility issues and provide multiple ways of distributing and responding to the survey to allow fair inclusion of everyone in the community.
If you are planning a project that will involve human or animal subjects, be sure to contact the appropriate committee (IRB or IACUC) at your institution for advice when you are starting to plan your project.
Furthermore, understanding the ethical implications and regulations governing this type of research is important for everyone. Every day we benefit from the results of research conducted with human or animal subjects. The voices of informed citizens are key to ensure that these standards are upheld, especially as we move further into a future where digital technologies allow large-scale research on unsuspecting users.
Module Complete
When completing this, go back to CANVAS, and take the Part II quiz.