Which document typically outlines the ethical guidelines for human subjects research?

The Common Rule, also known as the federal regulations, is a key document that outlines the ethical guidelines for human subjects research. It establishes the regulatory framework that governs how research involving human participants must be conducted in order to ensure their rights and welfare are protected. This set of regulations applies to various institutions and encompasses requirements for informed consent, IRB review, and the assessment of risks and benefits.

While institutional funding proposals and IRB reviews play important roles in the research process, they are not the primary sources of ethical guidelines. Institutional funding proposals may contain requirements related to compliance, but they do not provide the comprehensive ethical framework that the Common Rule does. Similarly, IRB reviews are focused on evaluating specific research protocols to ensure compliance with ethical standards but are not themselves documents that outline those standards.

Participants' feedback forms are measures used to gather input from research participants after their involvement in a study, but they do not outline ethical guidelines. They serve a different purpose, focusing more on the participant experience rather than setting the rules for conducting research ethically. Thus, the Common Rule remains the central document that defines the ethical conduct for research involving human subjects.