Some commentators have questioned the utility of distinguishing between IFs and IRRs, especially in the context of whole-exome, whole-genome, or genome-wide association studies (GWAS). We agree that the distinction between IFs and IRRs is “fuzziest” in large-scale discovery research where it is difficult to identify what is “beyond the aims of the study” because the entire genome is under scrutiny and the research is inductive discovery research rather than research driven by discrete hypotheses.1,18,19 Moreover, recruitment for biobank participation may be for an open-ended array of future studies. However, IFs may still arise in ascertaining a prospective contributor’s eligibility to participate in the study or biobank and in baseline screening. For example, during initial enrollment, a researcher may discover that a contributor has elevated blood pressure—a finding incidental to the genomic study itself. IFs may also arise during the course of studies aiming to study a particular set of genotype/phenotype correlations. A researcher using a GWAS approach in a breast cancer study, for instance, may find mutations in genes known to be correlated with development of colon cancer.20 Since the colon cancer genetic association was beyond the aims of the breast cancer study, it is an incidental finding.
