Los comités de investigación en salud: su autoridad, responsabilidad fundamental y necesidad de que se sometan a auditorías periódicas.

Research ethics must include theoretical and practical dimensions. The first one is structured by regulations and policies, and the second dimension refers to how the committee interprets and applies those regulations and policies. This article analyses the operation of the committees at a practical level. Given that the evaluation and judgement of research protocols is a process that requires full awareness, its omission entails important implications for health research.