Explain the role of an IRB or ethics committee in social research.

• A. They review protocols to protect participants, assess risk, ensure informed consent, confidentiality, and compliance with ethical standards.
• B. They set salaries for researchers.
• C. They select research topics.
• D. They supervise publication decisions.

Answer: (A)

IRBs (ethics committees) focus on protecting people who participate in social research. They review proposed studies before they start to make sure any risks to participants are minimized and reasonable in light of potential benefits, that informed consent is clear and voluntary, and that privacy and data confidentiality are safeguarded. They also look at how participants are selected (to avoid undue burden or exploitation), ensure protections for vulnerable groups, and verify that researchers will follow ethical standards and relevant laws. The committee may require changes to the protocol, monitor ongoing study conduct, and demand reporting of adverse events or amendments if procedures change. Salaries, topic selection, and publication decisions aren’t functions of an IRB; those roles belong to administrators, researchers, or editors.