Which statement best describes the status of a Research Ethics Board (REB)?

• A. A committee accountable in all respects to the institution that created it.
• B. A committee independent in all respects from the institution that created it.
• C. A committee accountable to the institution that created it with respect to its operations, but independent with respect to its decisions on research proposals.
• D. A committee that operates under government control.

Answer: (C)

The key idea is balancing accountability with independence. A Research Ethics Board (REB) is established by an institution and is responsible for how it operates—its policies, procedures, membership, training, and record-keeping—so the institution can oversee its functioning. Yet when it comes to evaluating and making decisions on research proposals, the REB must act independently of the institution to prevent bias or pressure from researchers or sponsors. This independence ensures that decisions about participant protections, risk/benefit assessments, consent requirements, and privacy safeguards are based on ethical principles, not institutional interests.

So, the correct description is that the REB is accountable to the institution for its operations but independent in its decisions on research proposals. It isn’t fully under government control, and it isn’t independent in all respects from the institution, nor is it accountable in every respect to the institution for its decisions about proposals.