Discusses the publication of the final common rule of the Federal Government for the
protection of human Ss of research. It represents the culmination of 10 yrs of negotiations
and the beginning of increased activity to extend and make workable protections for these
Ss. A brief history of the policy is given, and the changes implemented in this 1991 version
are discussed.(PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Federal policy regarding the protection of human subjects in research has led to the creation
of institutional review boards (IRBs) at every institution that receives federal funds for
research. The function of the IRB is to review research that involves human subjects to
ensure that this research is completed in an ethical manner. Social work research
undertaken by researchers at federally funded institutions using human subjects and aiming
to build knowledge that is generalizable is subject to IRB review, as is any research that is …