Gaining ethical approval for research into sensitive topics: ‘two strikes and you’re out?'¹

Abstract

Summary Researching sensitive topics, such as the treatment of men with intellectual disabilities and sexually abusive behaviour, present a number of ethical issues for researchers. This paper describes our experiences in working with Multi‐Centre Research Ethics Committees on a research proposal designed to assess the efficacy of cognitive behaviour therapy for men with intellectual disabilities who are at risk of sexual offending. After submitting to three Multi‐Centre Research Ethics Committees and spending a year trying to get ethical approval, we questioned whether: the issue of study design should be part of the Multi‐Centre Research Ethics Committees remit; Multi‐Centre Research Ethics Committees were sufficiently responsive to concerns raised by researchers; Multi‐Centre Research Ethics Committees always understood the research; and the Central Office for Research Ethics Committees should disallow re‐submission after rejection by two Multi‐Centre Research Ethics Committees (‘two strikes and you’re out').