What are the three basic ethical principles relevant to human subjects research?

The three basic ethical principles relevant to human subjects research, identified in the Belmont Report, are respect for persons, beneficence, and justice.

Respect for persons acknowledges the autonomy of individuals, emphasizing the need to obtain informed consent from research participants and consider their rights and interests. This principle recognizes that individuals should have the liberty to make voluntary choices about participating in research.

Beneficence refers to the obligation to maximize benefits and minimize harm. Researchers are tasked with ensuring that their studies do not cause unnecessary harm to participants while striving to produce valuable knowledge that could benefit society. This principle enforces the importance of weighing the risks and benefits associated with research.

Justice is the principle that emphasizes fairness in the distribution of the benefits and burdens of research. It requires that participants are selected equitably and that no group bears an unfair burden of risks or is unjustly excluded from the potential benefits of research studies.

These three principles provide a foundational ethical framework for conducting research involving human subjects, ensuring that the dignity, rights, and welfare of participants are protected throughout the research process.