The Establishment of Institutional Review Boards in the U.S. Background History

Abstract

Prior to the twentieth century, research ethics were primarily governed by individual conscience and professional codes of conduct. Whether and how humans might be investigated, however, has always been subject to the laws and customs of the society and government at the time. For many reasons, in the second half of the twentieth century, an elaborate set of rules and regulations about research were established by the American government to protect individual and public interests. What follows is a discussion of why federal rules and regulations were established, including the Institutional Review Boards. Originally written April 29, 2005; updated August 31, 2021.