What is the role of the Research Ethics Board (REB) under TCPS 2?

• A. The ethics of research involving humans.
• B. The ethics of animal research
• C. The ethics of information systems
• D. The ethics of publication practices

Answer: (A)

The role of the Research Ethics Board under TCPS 2 is to review and oversee research that involves human participants to ensure it is conducted ethically. This means checking that risks to participants are minimized and justified by the potential benefits, and that participation is voluntary and informed. The board ensures respect for persons, concern for welfare, and justice in the study design, including how participants are recruited, how consent is obtained and documented, and how vulnerable individuals are protected. It also scrutinizes privacy and confidentiality plans, data handling, and whether any potential coercion or undue influence is avoided.

Beyond initial approval, the REB provides ongoing oversight, evaluating any protocol amendments, monitoring safety through adverse event reporting, and ensuring continued adherence to TCPS 2 throughout the research. This responsibility is specifically about research with humans; ethics of animal work, information systems, or publication practices are managed by other policies or boards.