Majallah-i Dānishgāh-i ̒Ulūm-i Pizishkī-i Bābul (Oct 2006)
ETHICS COMMITTEES AND INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH IN IRAN AND JAPAN (2002-2003)
Abstract
Introduction: The internationally sponsored researches give rise to many important ethical challenges worldwide. Some evidences represent that ethical and scientific standards do not observe in these researches. This study is designed to evaluate the current approach of ECs for Externally-Sponsored Researches (ESRs) in the medical universities and research centers in Iran and Japan. Methods and Materials: This descriptive survey has carried out in Iran and Japan during 2002-2003. The questionnaires containing close and open-ended questions were sent to the ethics review committees (ECs). The project was carried out in 76 and 89 universities and research centers in Iran and Japan, respectively. After collecting data, they were analyzed by SPSS software version 11.5. Results: In Iran, 35 ECs have been retrieved questionnaire (a response rate of 46%) but only 19 of them had ESR projects. In Japan, twenty two ECs have been replied (a response rate of 25%) which include seventeen ECs in public and five private universities. We have compared some results in detail.Conclusion: Although successful international collaborations have to overcome many regional and global barriers, but there is a necessity to perform research within a framework that is appropriate to the religious, social, medical, and political context of the countries. Therefore, we should outlined necessary principles and issues which ECs need to consider when reviewing ESRs. Establishing specific ethical guideline and training of ECs members could improve process of ethics review and monitoring of these researches.
