Ethical Challenges Community-Based Researchers and Community-Based Organizations Face

Abstract

Community-based research (CBR) has grown rapidly since its origins and has helped to make substantial and positive changes within communities. The goals of CBR are to collaborate with community-based organizations (CBOs) and community partners in culturally sensitive, synergistic relationships to address community-defined problems and find community-relevant solutions. This chapter focuses on the ethical challenges that community-based researchers and CBOs face when working with traditional Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) to guide and evaluate their projects. Traditional IRB standards regarding informed consent, personal and professional boundaries, and decisions regarding risks and benefits to communities need to change. Academic researchers, community partners, IRBs, and institutions of higher learning must work together so that community-based researchers and CBOs can continue to work in community and communities for social justice and social change.