Chapter 4.3, Problem 110E

(a)

To determine

To explain why should review boards contain people who are not scientists.

Explanation of Solution

In this question, government regulations require that institutional review boards consist of at least five people. Thus, the review boards should not contain scientists because scientists are more concerned with the feasibility of the regulation, or how valuable its results may be. Containing people who are not scientists help bring another perspective on how ethical it may be.

(b)

To determine

To explain do you think one outside member is enough or not and also how would you choose that member and would you prefer a medical doctor, a religious leader or an activist for patients’ rights.

Explanation of Solution

One outside member might not be enough to represent all outsiders. They might be biased on a particular topic depending on their experiences, profession, or even their religion. If only one outside member can be chosen, then it would be best to choose randomly. This way, the chance of a particular perspective being chosen is directly proportional to its abundance in the population.