Which of the following is NOT a typical criterion for an REB to grant a waiver or alteration of consent?

• A. The risk to participants is minimal.
• B. Consent would be impracticable to obtain.
• C. Privacy protections are in place and data are de-identified.
• D. The study involves deceptive practices that could cause harm if consent is required.

Answer: (D)

Waivers or alterations of consent are allowed when the research is minimal risk, obtaining consent would be impracticable, and privacy protections are in place (with data de-identified when possible). These criteria are designed to protect participants while allowing important research that couldn’t proceed if full consent were required. The idea that a study would be granted a waiver because it involves deceptive practices is not a standard criterion. Deception raises ethical and risk considerations that are assessed separately, and a waiver isn’t justified simply by the presence of deception. If deception is used, researchers must still show that overall risk remains minimal and that appropriate protections and debriefing or post-participation information are feasible.