A proposed model of core competencies required for research ethics consultants

Abstract

　　Research ethics consultation services (RECS), which function as an advisory service to facilitate resolution of complex ethical issues in the context of clinical research, have been proliferating over the last decade. However, the qualification of an individual who provides RECS, or “a research ethics consultant,” has not been thoroughly investigated, in contrast to healthcare ethics consultants, whose core competencies have been well discussed and identified. In this study, we have investigated core competencies required for a research ethics consultant, referring to the core competency models of ethics consultants developed in the healthcare practice context, and propose a competency model for research ethics consultants.