Compliance violations in clinical research have become a documented concern, with multiple instances showing research teams disregarded protocols ____...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Compliance violations in clinical research have become a documented concern, with multiple instances showing research teams disregarded protocols ______ by institutional review boards. Despite these troubling departures from established procedures, most trials continue to adhere to approved methodologies, though oversight mechanisms face growing scrutiny.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
mandated
referenced
reported
mentioned
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Compliance violations in clinical research have become a documented concern,' |
|
| 'with multiple instances showing research teams disregarded protocols _______ by institutional review boards.' |
|
| 'Despite these troubling departures from established procedures,' |
|
| 'most trials continue to adhere to approved methodologies,' |
|
| 'though oversight mechanisms face growing scrutiny.' |
|
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The context suggests that research teams are disregarding protocols that come from institutional review boards
- The fact that this disregard is described as violations indicates these protocols have authority
- IRBs are oversight bodies that establish binding rules for research conduct
- The word we need should capture that IRBs establish protocols with authority, not just mention them
mandated
mandated
✓ Correct
- 'Mandated' means officially required or commanded
- This perfectly captures the authoritative relationship between IRBs and protocols and fits the context of violations being problematic
referenced
referenced
✗ Incorrect
- 'Referenced' means mentioned or cited
- This is too weak and doesn't explain why disregarding them would be a documented concern
reported
reported
✗ Incorrect
- 'Reported' means gave an account of
- This suggests IRBs are just informing people about protocols, not establishing them with authority
mentioned
mentioned
✗ Incorrect
- 'Mentioned' is even weaker, suggesting IRBs only briefly brought up protocols without any authoritative relationship