Issues involving the risks and benefits of human
subjects research converge at the intersection of
research in engineering, science, ethics, medicine,
and technology and society. By law, research
organizations must establish an institutional review
board (IRB) to decide whether to approve research
with human participants. With over 6500 IRBs in the
US, IRB decision-making can vary beyond
the basic federal guidelines. Both policymakers and
researchers increasingly are focusing on the
adequacy of the existing oversight system. As
tension mounts over applicability of the guidelines...