Ethical Review Process by Ethics Committees

If a minority of REC members consider a project or some aspect of a project unethical, the REC’s operating procedures may state that an effort must be made to reach consensus. However, when a decision reached is not unanimously accepted by all members, the number of members dissenting and/or abstaining should be recorded in the minutes.

• Dissenting members are those that do not agree with the majority decision.
  
  
• Abstaining members are those that decide not to give their vote to either alternative.
  

Dissenting or abstaining members may also be offered the opportunity to join their opinion to the REC’s decision in a minority report.