Adapting research ethics for global health crises: a systematic analysis of COVID-19 pandemic research guidelines and reflections on their post-pandemic implications

The COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges to global research ethics governance. In response to the urgent need for rapid scientific data, ethics review processes were accelerated, informed consent procedures adapted, and new research methods introduced. These changes were guided by the proliferation of research ethics guidelines issued by national, regional and international bodies. However, there has been limited systematic analysis of how these guidelines addressed key ethical challenges during the pandemic and shaped future ethical frameworks. This study aims to map the global network of pandemic related research guidelines, to analyze how they addressed the main pandemic specific ethical challenges.