Rethinking ethical reflexivity and oversight in health research through an ecosystem approach: A workshop report
As the scope of morally relevant considerations widens and new challenges emerge at the frontiers of health innovation, there are questions about the appropriate role and remit for research ethics review, within the broader context of the whole health research ecosystem. Drawing on discussion at a satellite meeting at the 2022 Global Forum on Bioethics in Research in Cape Town, we argue that the ethical conduct of research is the responsibility of all stakeholders in the research ecosystem – from funders, governments and research institutions to individual research teams and ethics committees. As a research community we need to espouse, and take action to achieve, more distributed approaches to ethical scrutiny and reflexivity. A crucial element of such a shift should be the development of collaborative and non-adversarial relationships between researchers and ethics committees that recognise and respect the mutual responsibilities of all parties to promote ethical research conduct. In tandem with the development of systems to support the exercise of ethical responsibilities across the research ecosystem, committees need to reconceptualise their role, in partnership with communities, as one of providing accountability through a focus on how research promotes participant agency and the common good.
Authors
- Katharine Wright (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4272-1591)
- Phaik Yeong Cheah (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6327-3266)
- Paul Ndebele (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9669-1544)
- Anna Chiumento (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0526-0173)
- Florencia Luna (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8865-2756)
- Jantina de Vries (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7192-2633)
- Sharon Kaur (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7809-3292)
- Carleigh Krubiner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1647-2355)
- Joseph Ali (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4767-2512)
- Agata Ferretti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6716-5713)
- Ana Palmero (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5781-9071)
- Effy Vayena (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1303-5467)
- Katherine Littler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3679-6031)
- Teck Chuan Voo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4757-7328)
- Rachel L Knowles (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5490-7682)
- James Shaw (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9522-0756)
- Adrienne Hunt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1227-0310)
- Caesar Atuire
Institutions
- University of Ghana (GH)
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- SingHealth (SG)
- University of Cape Town (ZA)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- George Washington University (US)
- Mahidol University (TH)
- University of Malaya (MY)
- ETH Zurich (CH)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- UK Research and Innovation (GB)
- Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics (US)
- Centro Científico Tecnológico - San Juan (AR)
- Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales Sede Argentina (AR)
- World Health Organization (CH)
- Science Council (GB)
- Wellcome Trust (GB)
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Research Ethics
- Published
- 2025-09-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1177/17470161251346253
- Primary Topic
- Ethics in Clinical Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- UK Research and Innovation
- South African Medical Research Council
- National Institutes of Health
- Medical Research Council
- Fogarty International Center