Table 2 Summary of most and least important items
Most important ideal items | Least important ideal items |
|---|---|
14. An IRB that treats investigators with respect. | 20. An IRB that has a diverse membership (i.e., includes women, minorities and both junior and senior members of the institution). |
29. An IRB whose membership does not allow their personal biases to affect their evaluation of protocols. | 3. An IRB that recognizes when it lacks sufficient expertise to evaluate a protocol and seeks an outside evaluator. |
42. An IRB that views protection of human participants as its primary function. | 8. An IRB that offers consultation during the development of research protocols or grant applications |
17. An IRB that maintains complete and accurate records. | 10. An IRB that offers editorial suggestions regarding consent documents and protocols (e.g., typos, grammar, clarity). |
25. An IRB that takes timely and appropriate action whenever scientific misconduct is alleged. | 23. An IRB that is composed of more than one public member. |