The Internal Review Board (IRB) ensures that research procedures adhere to ethical values and principles. The researchers are expected to strictly follow the study protocols which guide them on the right practices. Following the IRB procedures could be challenging and research teams could be tempted to practice dishonesty. However, clinical trials are critical and require the practice of integrity to avoid harming humans. Besides, if IRB discovers that the clinical trials were approved without integrity in practice then the drug in the test could be stopped (Food and Drug Administration, 2019). Jan Klein as a clinical research coordinator practiced integrity by following IRB protocols to show that she values the clinical trials and cares for research participants.
Practicing honesty during research coordination is also important for institutional audits. IRB has the mandate to conduct unannounced research audits at any time of the year. The audits are thorough and may discover study misconduct. Thus, the parties involved in the research must be truthful or rather face the consequences of misconduct. IRB has the right to stop an ongoing clinical trial and have the study team investigated should there be deviations reported during an audit (Food and Drug Administration, 2019). Following serious non-adherence, the researchers could risk losing their jobs in their respective fields of study. IRB does the audit to ensure that only scientifically and ethically valid researches are approved for practice. This practice guarantees the well-being of study participants and that of the general public (Food and Drug Administration, 2019). Furthermore, unethical practices put the lives of participants in danger. Failure to follow the IRB protocol may contribute to the death or worsening of participants’ conditions. Therefore, adhering to IRB practices protects the integrity of the researchers, the well-being of the participants, and the jobs of the research team.
Reference
Food and Drug Administration. (2019). (IRBs) and protection of human subjects. Web.