How should researchers minimize risk in TCPS 2-compliant studies?

• A. Implement safeguards, minimize invasiveness, use proper recruitment, ensure privacy protections, and monitor for adverse effects.
• B. Increase risk to test durability.
• C. Eliminate consent to streamline study.
• D. Postpone oversight until after study.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is protecting participants by reducing potential harm. In TCPS 2–compliant research, investigators are expected to design and conduct studies in ways that lower physical, psychological, social, or privacy risks as much as possible. This means choosing less invasive procedures when feasible, implementing safeguards (like safety monitoring and clear data-security measures), and having a plan to detect and respond to adverse effects. It also includes careful, non-coercive recruitment and ensuring privacy and confidentiality throughout the study. Importantly, oversight starts before data collection, with ethics review and ongoing monitoring, so researching should not proceed without this protection in place.

The other options conflict with these protections: increasing risk isn’t acceptable under TCPS 2, eliminating consent violates autonomy, and postponing oversight eliminates essential ethics review and monitoring.