Ethical Principles and Their Application
: : Ethical Principles
: : Application of Ethical Principles
The ethical principles, standards and procedures of the TCPS are intended
to ensure respect for human dignity. This requires that the welfare and
integrity of the individual be of primary concern during the research
process and that people not be treated as objects. Research involving
human subjects must use morally acceptable methods and result in ethically
acceptable consequences.
The principles that follow are based on the guidelines of the agencies
over the last decades, on more recent statements by other Canadian agencies,
and on statements from the international community.
Respect for human dignity forms the basis of seven ethical principles
in research:
- Requirement for Free and Informed Consent. Individuals are
generally presumed to have the capacity to make free and informed decisions.
Free and informed consent should be sought from potential research subjects
or their representatives.
- Respect for Vulnerable Persons. Individuals with diminished
competence and/or decision-making capacity are considered vulnerable.
The interests of the vulnerable individuals should be protected.
- Respect for Privacy and Confidentiality. The access, control
and dissemination of personal information of research subjects should
be protected.
- Respect for Justice and Inclusiveness. The benefits and burdens
of research should be fairly distributed across society. Ethics review
should have fair standards and procedures.
- Balancing Harms and Benefits. The foreseeable harms associated
with the research should not outweigh the anticipated benefits.
- Minimizing Harm. Harm to research subjects should be avoided,
prevented or minimized.
- Maximizing Benefit. The benefits of research for the subjects
themselves or for society as a whole should be maximized.
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Application of Ethical
Principles
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The ethical principles, standards and procedures of the TCPS are applied
to research projects by the researcher(s). The REB reviews the proposed
research project. Ethical principles, standards and procedures cannot
be applied in set ways, especially in light of diversity among research
disciplines. Although the principles and standards are fundamental in
nature, their application depends on the context of the research and the
ethical norms and practices of the relevant research discipline. Thus,
the REB has some flexibility in the implementation of the policy. However,
in order to maintain the integrity of the TCPS guiding ethical principles,
those proposing an exception must give an acceptable justification for
the proposed course of action.
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Dignity
