CITI INSTITUTIONAL
REVIEW BOARD IRB
PRACTICE TEST 50
QUESTIONS
Question 1: Which three ethical principles form the core of the Belmont Report?
Choices:
1) Respect for Persons, Bene�cence, and Justice 2) Privacy, Con�dentiality, and Transparency 3) Autonomy, Fidelity, and Nonmale�cence 4) Scienti�c Validity, Equipoise, and Accountability
Correct Answer: Respect for Persons, Bene�cence, and Justice
Explanation: The Belmont Report identi�es Respect for Persons, Bene�cence, and Justice as the three basic ethical principles guiding research with human subjects.Page 1
Question 2: A researcher gives potential participants clear study information and allows them to decide freely whether to enroll. Which Belmont principle is most directly re�ected?
Choices:
1) Justice 2) Respect for Persons 3) Bene�cence 4) Scienti�c merit
Correct Answer: Respect for Persons
Explanation: Respect for Persons requires recognizing individual autonomy and providing additional protection to people with diminished autonomy. A voluntary informed-consent process is a primary application of this principle.Question 3: An IRB asks investigators to redesign a blood-draw schedule so that the same scienti�c question can be answered with fewer venipunctures. Which Belmont principle is the IRB applying most directly?
Choices:
1) Justice 2) Respect for Persons 3) Bene�cence 4) Con�dentiality
Correct Answer: Bene�cence
Explanation: Bene�cence requires researchers to maximize possible bene�ts and minimize possible harms. Reducing unnecessary procedures lowers risk without undermining the research objective.Page 2
Question 4: A study recruits only residents of a low-income shelter because they are easy to access, even though the research question concerns adults generally. Which ethical concern is most prominent?
Choices:
1) Failure to obtain HIPAA authorization 2) Failure to register the IRB 3) Failure to use a data monitoring committee 4) Violation of Justice through unfair subject selection
Correct Answer: Violation of Justice through unfair subject selection
Explanation: Justice concerns the fair distribution of research burdens and bene�ts. Selecting a disadvantaged group merely for convenience can unfairly concentrate research burdens on that group.Question 5: Why are historical research abuses important in modern IRB training?
Choices:
1) They explain why ethical principles and regulatory protections for human subjects were developed 2) They establish that all research must provide direct medical bene�t 3) They eliminate the need for institutional policies 4) They show that consent is required only in clinical trials Correct Answer: They explain why ethical principles and regulatory protections for human subjects were developed Explanation: Historical abuses demonstrated the consequences of inadequate consent, unfair selection, and failure to protect participants, helping drive the development of ethical frameworks and human-subject protection regulations.Page 3