Ethics approval is the process by which research studies involving human subjects are reviewed to ensure that they are conducted in an ethical manner. This review is typically carried out by an institutional review board (IRB) or ethics committee.

The purpose of ethics approval is to ensure that the study will not cause harm to the participants and that their rights and dignity will be protected. The IRB or ethics committee will review the research protocol and any associated materials, such as informed consent forms and participant recruitment advertisements, to ensure that they are ethical, appropriate, and compliant with applicable laws and regulations.

Ethics approval is mandatory for many types of research involving human subjects, particularly those funded by government agencies or conducted at academic institutions. Failure to obtain ethics approval can have serious consequences, including the inability to publish research findings, loss of funding, and damage to the reputation of the researcher or institution.