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Institutional Review Board

Statement of Ethical Principles

Truman State University is committed to excellence in teaching, research, and public service. Concomitantly, the University is committed to the conduct of these activities with the highest possible ethical standards. For projects involving humans as subjects of research and research-related projects, Truman State University is guided by the ethical principles regarding all research involving humans as subjects as set forth in the Declaration of Helsinki, the Nuremburg Code, and the National Commission for the protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research entitled Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research: The Belmont Report. In addition, the requirements set forth in Title 45, Part 46 of the Code of Federal Regulations will be followed for all applicable federally funded research.

Thus, the following broad principles are the basis for development of Truman State University's policies concerning review of research involving humans:
    • A. Whereas, the participation of humans in research and training projects may raise fundamental ethical and civil rights questions, no distinctions in the monitoring of projects will be drawn between funded and unfunded projects, sponsored and unsponsored projects, or between projects carried out by students, faculty, or other University employees, on campus or off campus.
    • B. All activities involving humans as subjects must provide for the safety, health, and welfare of every individual. Rights, including the right of privacy, must not be unduly infringed upon.
    • C. The direct or potential benefits to the subject, and/or the importance of the knowledge gained, must outweigh the inherent risks to the individual.
    • D. Participation in projects must be voluntary and informed consent must be obtained from all subjects, unless this requirement is waived by the Institutional Review Board.
    • E. An individual does not abdicate any rights by consenting to be a research subject. A subject has the right to withdraw from a research project at any time or may refuse to participate without loss of benefits to which the subject would otherwise be entitled.
    • F. Safeguarding information about an individual that has been obtained in the course of an investigation is a primary obligation of the investigator.