The Illinois White Paper - Improving the System for Protecting Human Subjects: Counteracting IRB Mission Creep

33 Pages Posted: 18 May 2006

See all articles by C K Gunsalus

C K Gunsalus

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Edward M Bruner

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Department of Anthropology

Nicholas Burbules

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Department of Educational Policy Studies

Leon DeCosta Dash

University of Illinois College of Law

Matthew Finkin

University of Illinois College of Law

Joseph Goldberg

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - College of Medicine

William Greenough

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Center for Advanced Studies, Department of Psychology

Gregory Miller

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry

Michael G. Pratt

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Department of Business Administration

Abstract

This White Paper reports on two years' work by a group convened by the Center for Advanced Study at the University of Illinois, following an invitational, national, interdisciplinary conference Human Subject Policy Conference: An Examination of the Interaction Between Human Subject Protection Regulations and Research Outside the Biomedical Sphere. We describe the pernicious effects of mission creep on the work of Institutional Review Boards, which is diverting the attention of some IRBs from critical ethical oversight in favor of often-meaningless paperwork. We make recommendations to help the IRB system focus its efforts on those research projects most in need of careful ethical review to protect human subjects of and participants in research. The recommendations include the idea that some methodologies do not need advance review and approval by IRBs and that there are procedural changes that can strengthen the core missions of IRBs. We hope that this paper will further the discussion about what reasonable procedures can be instituted to provide improved ethical protection for people who participate in research projects.

Suggested Citation

Gunsalus, C. Kristina and Bruner, Edward M and Burbules, Nicholas and Dash, Leon DeCosta and Finkin, Matthew W. and Goldberg, Joseph and Greenough, William and Miller, Gregory and Pratt, Michael Gerard, The Illinois White Paper - Improving the System for Protecting Human Subjects: Counteracting IRB Mission Creep. U Illinois Law & Economics Research Paper No. LE06-016, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=902995 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.902995

C. Kristina Gunsalus (Contact Author)

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ( email )

601 E John St
Champaign, IL Champaign 61820
United States
217-333-1416 (Phone)
217-244-1478 (Fax)

Edward M Bruner

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Department of Anthropology ( email )

607 S Mathews
Urbana, IL 61801
United States

Nicholas Burbules

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Department of Educational Policy Studies ( email )

601 E John St
Champaign, IL Champaign 61820
United States

Leon DeCosta Dash

University of Illinois College of Law ( email )

504 E. Pennsylvania Avenue
Champaign, IL 61820
United States

Matthew W. Finkin

University of Illinois College of Law ( email )

504 E. Pennsylvania Avenue
Champaign, IL 61820
United States

Joseph Goldberg

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - College of Medicine ( email )

601 E John St
Champaign, IL Champaign 61820
United States

William Greenough

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Center for Advanced Studies, Department of Psychology ( email )

601 E John St
Champaign, IL Champaign 61820
United States

Gregory Miller

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry ( email )

601 E John St
Champaign, IL Champaign 61820
United States

Michael Gerard Pratt

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Department of Business Administration ( email )

1206 South Sixth Street
Champaign, IL 61820
United States
(217) 244-6023 (Phone)
(217) 244-7969 (Fax)

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