Barry Schwartz

Safety in Human Research: Past Problems and Current Challenges from a Canadian Perspective

Human research is an essential component to furthering human health. Maintaining safety in human research historically has suffered from abuse by some researchers and despite all of the safeguards in place, human safety in research in certain circumstances, continues to be a daunting process. The scientific community has made great strides towards the advancement of knowledge, enhancement of human welfare and the understanding of complex social and cultural dynamics through research. Justification in using human volunteers stems from the limitations of laboratory research to extrapolate results on a biological scale (Jonas, 1970, p.1). It is through participation of human subjects that bioethical principles are constantly challenged and often become in conflict. Research involving human subjects requires balancing the principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy and justice. The potential harms towards participants must be weighed against the potential benefits to society and is contingent on informed participants who voluntarily enroll. Many new issues, including conflicts of interest, continue potentially to endanger safety in human research. Before examining current challenges, it is important to be reminded of the research ethics journey to participant safety in research.