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Community Research Ethics for Environmental/Public Health

Dianne Quigley, PhD Candidate, Religion Dept., Syracuse University, 501 Hall of Languages, Syracuse, NY 13244, 315-443-3861, diquigle@syr.edu, Linda Silka, PhD, Center for Work, Family and Community, University of Massachusetts - Lowell, One University Avenue, Lowell, MA 01824, Phil Brown, PhD, Department of Sociology, Brown University, Box 1916, Providence, RI 02912, Steve Wing, PhD, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, McGavran-Greenburg Hall, CB#7400, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7400, and Douglas K. Taylor, PhD, Executive Director, Southeast Community Research Center, 442 Seminole Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30307.

The Collaborative Initiative for Research Ethics in Environmental Health held a national conference on “Dialogues for Improving Research Ethics in Environmental/Public Health” (May 2004). The conference, attended by 110 academic and community health researchers, focused on urgent topics in community research ethics and environmental justice such as (1) community protections/rights in research (2) expanding western science methods with holistic cross-cultural knowledge systems (3) community representation in IRBs and (4) improving the ethical relationship in community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnerships. Our collaborators propose a panel that summarize the major contributions of the presenters and recommendations for research ethics. These ethical issues are pertinent to both health research and environmental ethics, stressing the need to strengthen community participation, rights and knowledge production for improved research practices and community/environmental sustainability.

These specific topics will be discussed: (1)The need to extend individual research protections to communities (proposed guidelines and moral complexities still to be worked). (2)New models of scientific research paradigms that incorporate community knowledge and contexts in research investigations (indigenous holistic research models for health risk assessment and environmental restoration - research models which highlight the interconnected, relational impacts of environmental contamination/degradation).(3) New recommendations on improving community participation in IRBs; changes that are needed nationwide. (4) Problems and training needs that were offered by the conference’s culturally-diverse participants for improving CBPR partnerships; overcoming linguistic communication barriers and power and privilege dynamics when scientists and community members work together.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Community-Based Public Health, Ethics Training

Related Web page: www.researchethics.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Community Research and Environmental Justice

The 132nd Annual Meeting (November 6-10, 2004) of APHA