Institutional Review Board
Also written as: IRB — Institutional Review Board
An ethics committee that reviews and approves psychiatric research involving human subjects, ensuring participant safety and ethical standards.
Full Definition
An Institutional Review Board (IRB) is an independent ethics committee established by research institutions to review, approve, and monitor psychiatric research involving human participants. IRBs evaluate study protocols for scientific merit, ethical considerations, risk-benefit ratios, and informed consent procedures, ensuring that psychiatric research meets federal regulations and protects participant rights and welfare throughout the study duration.
Usage
Usage note: Always capitalize when referring to the specific committee; use lowercase for general concept.
In Context
- "The study protocol received approval from the Institutional Review Board before participant recruitment began." — Ethics approval statement
- "IRB approval was obtained from all participating sites in this multi-center psychiatric trial." — Regulatory compliance section