Definition

Noun: - A formally constituted group tasked with reviewing and advising on matters involving moral principles and professional conduct: An ethics committee is a body, often within an institution like a hospital, university, or research organization, appointed to evaluate activities, proposals, or dilemmas to ensure they adhere to ethical standards. Its primary role is protective and advisory, focusing on the welfare of participants, integrity of processes, and societal values.

Usage

• Primary Function: The committee reviews cases, protocols, or policies where ethical judgment is required.
  • All research involving human subjects must receive approval from the ethics committee before it can begin.
  • The hospital's ethics committee was convened to discuss the complex case of patient consent.

Advanced Usage

• Institutional Review Board (IRB): In many research contexts, especially in the United States, an "ethics committee" is synonymous with an Institutional Review Board, which has a specific regulatory function.
  • The study's protocol was submitted to the ethics committee (IRB) for ethical review.
• Policy Development: Such committees may also be involved in formulating ethical guidelines for an organization.
  • The university's ethics committee drafted new guidelines for artificial intelligence research.

Variants and Related Words

• Institutional Review Board (IRB) (n): A specific type of ethics committee that reviews and monitors biomedical and behavioral research involving humans.
• Ethics board (n): A common alternative term with the same meaning.
• Bioethics committee (n): A committee specializing in ethical issues arising from medicine and the biological sciences.

Synonyms

• Review board
• Ethical review panel

Notes on Meaning

• The term specifically refers to an . It is not used to describe general ethical principles ("ethics") or an individual's ethical stance.
• Its work is typically deliberative and evaluative, rather than enforcement-based, though its approval is often a mandatory gateway for research or certain medical procedures.

Noun

1. a committee appointed to consider ethical issues