Research Ethics
Research Ethics on the Use of Human Subjects in Social Sciences
Thailand’s Institutional/ National Board of Research Ethics on the Use of Human Subjects in Social Sciences requires as compulsory that researchers comply with the established criteria as well as secure a certified approval from the Board for the purpose of protecting the human subjects in the study from risks affecting their rights, security, health, privacy and confidentiality.
The Board specifies research that imposes three levels of risks on the human subjects under study: (1) nil or very low, (2) low, and (2) higher than low, and instructs researchers to obtain a certified approval from the Board’s classified reviews:
(1) Exemption Review is for the research project that uses unidentifiable data that impose nil or very low risks to the human subjects under study. Researchers can request an exemption review approval from the Board.
(2) Expedited Review is for the research project that uses data that impose low risks to the human subjects under study. Researchers can obtain an expedited review approval from the Board via the consideration and recommendation of two Board members and an endorsement from the Board Chairperson.
(3) Full Board Review is for the research project that uses data that impose higher than low risks to the human subjects under study. Researchers can obtain a full review approval from the Board via the consideration and recommendation of two Board members (specialists in the area under study) and a representative from the public or community concerned, followed by an endorsement from the full Board.
