Many ethical considerations needed to be considered to carry out any research project involving community members. In particular, CBR projects must take into account that ethical considerations will likely evolve during the project, as unexpected issues may arise that require special attention.

Basic ethical principles

Research should follow the basic principles of:

• Respect for Persons
• Beneficence
• Social Justice

Learn more about these principles: Basic Ethical Principles PDF (47 KB)

Learn more about ethical review in CBR

Flicker, S., Travers, R., Guta, A., McDonald, S. and Meagher, A. (2007) Ethical Dilemmas in Community-Based Participatory Research: Recommendations for Institutional Review Boards, Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, Vol 84, No. 4.
http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/pipermail/cbpr/
attachments/20070418/096a2ff2/CBREthics.pdf

Report on Research Ethics Review: in Community-based HIV/AIDS Research
http://cbr.cbrc.net/files/1029213009/Ogden%20Ethics%20Report.pdf

Community-Based Research Centre Policy: Ethics Review for Research Involving Human Subjects
http://cbr.cbrc.net/files/1029213061/CBRC%20REC.pdf

The Research Ethics Training Curriculum for Community Representatives (RETC-CR), developed by Family Health International, is designed to assist community representatives to understand the research process and their roles and responsibilities as partners of the research team.
http://www.fhi.org/en/RH/Training/trainmat/ethicscurr/RETCCREn/index.htm

Negotiating Ethical Agreements Fact Sheet by the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network
http://www.caan.ca/pdf/Ethical%20Agreements.pdf

Community-Based Research Ethics - key issues and recommendations and Downie, J. and Cottrell, B. (2001)
http://www.acewh.dal.ca/eng/reports/moving5.pdf

Community-Based Research Ethics Review: Reflections on Experience and Recommendations for Action, Health Law Review, Vol 10, No.1
http://www.law.ualberta.ca/centres/hli/pdfs/hlr/v10_1/10.1downiefrm.pdf