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The concept of risk is fundamental to research ethics, and the determination of research-related risk posed to research participants is a crucial component of the review process conducted by institutional review boards (IRBs). Burris and Davis (2009) admirably draw attention to social risks in behavioral research, rather than the more traditional focus on physical risks in biomedical studies. In the process, the authors pose an important ethical question: to what extent should researchers be obligated to determine the social risks posed to their prospective research participants prior to conducting their studies, and to report their findings to the IRBs?