Community representatives who will speak for communities in which research is conducted should read this curriculum. Using this curriculum, community representatives can learn to:
- Provide input into the ethical issues in the research process.
- Be an informed voice for communities where research takes place.
Sometimes, community representatives form a group that advises the research process. Other times, an ethics committee—formed of members not based in the community—will ask a community representative to act on behalf of all participants involved in a research study. A formally established group, sometimes called a community advisory board (CAB) or other title, may be formed of many community representatives to advise a research study and monitor the process. No firmly established international guidelines exist to define exactly how community members can be involved in research studies. Sometimes they are involved on an individual or local level; other times they represent their communities on a national or international level. Whatever the case, the main responsibility of community representatives is to ensure community input into every level of the research development, implementation, and dissemination process.
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