Importance of consent in research
Research has gained a lot of traction, especially in our country, in recent years. Many people, in the pursuit of knowledge, conduct research to shape the world around them. But there are some ethical dimensions involved in the same that are as important as the outcomes that are produced by this research as well. One of the most important aspects of these ethical dimensions is that of informed consent, which tries to uphold the value of respect and autonomy between the participants and the researchers. Usually, participants are made aware of the study and how it is being conducted, and along with that, they are also told about the potential implications for the same as well. They are also given the choice to leave the research at any point in time. This commitment not only safeguards the individual rights of that particular individual but also helps in making sure that the credibility of those research findings is maintained to help build trust in the community. This blog will explore more about ethical consent and how it is important in any psychological research process.
The importance of informed consent originated during the Nazi era in World War 2. It was when the Nazi physicians had conducted a lot of gruesome experiments on their human subjects before and during World War 2. This led to the establishment of the Nuremberg Code, which described a set of 10 ethical principles that have to be performed by physicians and researchers alike while experimenting with humans. One of the most important of these principles is that of informed consent. Similarly, the experiments conducted by the US government from 1932 to 1972 without the consent of men for their syphilis studies led to the establishment of the Belmont Report, which laid out the importance of informed consent in research proceedings. These rules and principles regarding research were then implemented by the health and human services, which operationalized the findings of the Belmont rule into a common rule that has informed consent as an important rule as well. (National Institute of Health., n.d.).
One of the most important aspects that has been upheld by informed consent is that of respect for autonomy. Consent honors the participants’ ability to make informed decisions on their own about their involvement, and it tries to protect their agency. (Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F., 2019). Because of this, we can see that the value of informed consent is rooted in the respect for the autonomy of the other individual. Informed consent in that sense helps in retaining control over the choice of the participants, whether they want to be a part of the study or they want to withdraw. It provides them with the ability to create a respectful and ethical environment for all those participants who are involved in a particular study (Pugh J., 2020).
Another important aspect of informed consent is that of minimizing harm and making sure that they are not disturbed by any kind of incident during research. By fully informing the participants during research about the pros and cons of the study and how it will impact them, as well as their potential implications on their body or mind, researchers can seek to reduce the physical, psychological, and social harm. This also helps them maintain the well-being of the individual involved as well (Resnik, D. B., 2018).
It has also been observed that informed consent is an embodiment of legal compliance as well as professional standards. Because of raising awareness about not asking for informed consent from the participants for research, many stringent rules have been implemented in various countries, including the USA. They tend to follow the Belmont Report as well as the Nuremberg Code, which was outlined after the end of World War 2. These regulations play a great role in making sure that there is consistency in research standards as well as making sure the researchers are held accountable for the clear standards. Also, this ensures that there is sufficient care taken to make sure that the participants are not actively seeking to exploit their participants (Emanuel, E. J., Wendler, D., & Grady, C., 2000). Trust is an important aspect of research that helps the researcher complete their study in the best manner possible because of which they are able to commit to transparency, honesty, and respect towards their fellow research participants. When the details of the research study have been given to the participants by the researchers, the former would be more likely to trust the latter. Trust overall plays an important role in making sure that the public's confidence in scientific research is firm but also makes sure that they are able to commit to participating in various scientific research.
Along with this, there are various other aspects of informed consent as well, like fostering cultural sensitivity among both researchers and the participants. Because of this, informed consent should be viewed as something that is very important to the scientific community, and make sure that the researchers are upholding the different standards for the same.
References
National institute of health (n.d.). Why is Informed consent important? https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/educational-resources/fact-sheets/why-is-informed-consent-required#:~:text=Informed%20consent%20is%20crucial%20in,by%20several%20regulations%20and%20policies.
Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (2019). Principles of Biomedical Ethics (8th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Resnik, D. B. (2018). The Ethics of Research with Human Subjects: Protecting People, Advancing Science, Promoting Trust. Springer International Publishing.
Emanuel, E. J., Wendler, D., & Grady, C. (2000). What makes clinical research ethical? JAMA, 283(20), 2701-2711.
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