THE INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD AS A MIRROR OF SCIENTIFIC AND ETHICAL STANDARDS

Decisions by institutional review boards (IRBs) are presumed to reflec t the norms and standards of the scientific community. Such criteria h ave shifted as changes have occurred in experimental interventions and protocols, codes of federal regulatory agencies, norms among investig ators, and expectations of participants. The tension created by shifti ng norms and standards raises two questions: (a) Should IRBs evaluate the scientific (e.g., design) features of the proposed research, and ( b) should consistent standards be expected even in areas that are in c onstant flux (e.g., AIDS research)? We discuss these questions and pro pose a mechanism to keep IRBs abreast of emergent issues and sensitize d not only to the costs of doing research but also to the costs of not doing it.