Clinical research ethics
Clinical research ethics are the set of relevant ethics considered in the conduct of a clinical trial in the field of clinical research. It borrows from the broader fields of research ethics and medical ethics. Governance Most directly a local institutional review board oversees the clinical research ethics of any given clinical trial. The institutional review board understands and acts according to local and national law. Each countries national law is guided by international principles, such as the Belmont Report's directive that all study participants have a right to "respect for persons", "beneficence", and "justice" when participating in clinical research. Study participant rights Participants in clinical research have rights which they should expect, including the following: right to informed consent shared decision-making privacy for research participants return of results right to withdraw Vulnerable populations There is a range of autonomy which study participants may have in deciding their participation in clinical research. One of the measures for safeguarding this right is the use of informed consent for clinical researches. Researchers refer to populations which have low autonomy as "vulnerable populations"; these are groups which may not be able to fairly decide for themselves whether to participate in clinical trials. Examples