Navigating the Process of Ethical Approval: A methodological note

Eileen Carey, RNID, BSc. (hons), MSc. Abstract Classic grounded theory (CGT) methodology is a general methodology whereby the researcher aims to develop an emergent conceptual theory from empirical data collected by the researcher during the research study. Gaining ethical approval from relevant ethics committees to access such data is the starting point for processing a CGT study. The adoption of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (UNESCO, 2005) is an indication of global consensus on the importance of research ethics. There is, however, a wide...

Institutional Review Boards: Perspectives from the United States

Alvita Nathaniel, Ph.D., FNP-BC, FAANP Introduction In the U.S., all research must be approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) that evaluates research protocols for the purpose of protecting human subjects. This paper includes a brief history of the development of public policy that guides institutional review boards in the U.S. and commentary on the responsibilities of a grounded theory researcher interested in applying for approval for a research study. An institutional review board (IRB) is a formally constituted committee that approves and monitors biomedical...

International Perspectives of Ethical Approval: The New Zealand scene

Antoinette McCallin Ph.D. Introduction The paper “Navigating the process of ethical approval” (Carey, 2010) raises many issues about the influence Institutional Ethics Committees have on research methodology and what can or cannot take place in research. Carey draws attention to the ethical challenges classic grounded theory researchers face when an ethical proposal that follows the principles of the methodology is presented to an Ethics Committee, whose main responsibility is the protection of participants. Ethics committees not only guide researchers on...