Inquiring to Benefit Society While Protecting Subjects: The Debates, Complexities and Moral Obligations of the IRB Review Process

Abstract

Whitney’s text Balanced Ethics Review: A Guide for Institutional Review Board Members highlights and problematizes pertinent issues in the Institutional Review Board (IRB) review process with a focus on the USA. The book, which is meant for “IRB member or chair” engages readers in exploring in-depth and from multiple perspectives the debates on the roles and responsibilities of IRBs. Within this context, the author demonstrates the need for the IRB process that balances the protection of human subjects with the benefits of research to the society. Furthermore, the book engages readers in exploring and reflecting on the intersections between power relations, and the moral obligations of IRBs. Moreover, insights are provided into the work of federal agencies that “control the IRB system.”