The Practice of Research Ethics in Lebanon and Qatar: Perspectives of Researchers on Informed Consent

Nakkash, Rima; Qutteina, Yara; Nasrallah, Catherine; Wright, Katharine; El-Alti, Leila; Makhoul, Jihad; Al-Ali, Khalid

Abstract

Informed consent requirements for conducting research with human participants are set by institutional review boards (IRBs) following established guidelines. Despite this, researchers continue to face challenges in seeking and obtaining informed consent. This study discusses researchers’ views of such problems in Lebanon and Qatar, which vary in research regulation. We conducted in-depth interviews with 52 academic researchers from various fields of research in both countries and analyzed them using thematic analysis. Important disjunctions emerged between IRB requirements and actual practice. Variations in obtaining informed consent were affected by the research context, type of research, and the prevalent cultural norms and values. Regulatory systems and guidelines for informed consent do not necessarily ensure ethical research conduct. Implications for improvement are presented.

Citation

Nakkash, R., Qutteina, Y., Nasrallah, C., Wright, K., El-Alti, L., Makhoul, J., & Al-Ali, K. (2017). The Practice of Research Ethics in Lebanon and Qatar: Perspectives of Researchers on Informed Consent. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 12(5), 352-362. https://doi.org/10.1177/1556264617730643

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Sep 14, 2017
• Publication Date: 2017-12
• Deposit Date: Nov 7, 2022
• Journal: Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics
• Print ISSN: 1556-2646
• Electronic ISSN: 1556-2654
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 352-362
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1556264617730643
• Keywords: Qatar, Lebanon, informed consent, institutional review board, sociocultural, researchers, ethics review process
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2948476