What are the main ethical principles from the Belmont Report integrated into the Common Rule?

The Belmont Report identifies three core ethical principles essential for the ethical conduct of research involving human subjects: respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. The integration of these principles into the Common Rule reflects a commitment to ethical research practices.

Focusing on respect for persons, this principle emphasizes the recognition of individual autonomy and the need to provide adequate protection for those with diminished autonomy. This means that participants should be fully informed about the research and given the opportunity to consent voluntarily to participate. This principle is foundational to ethical research as it acknowledges the rights and dignity of each individual, ensuring that they have a voice in the decisions that affect them.

While beneficence and justice are also important principles outlined in the Belmont Report, the question specifically asks for the main ethical principles integrated into the Common Rule. Respect for persons is particularly highlighted in the regulations governing informed consent and the treatment of research participants, making this principle a critical focus area in both the Belmont Report and the Common Rule. The emphasis on ensuring participants' rights and welfare is integral to maintaining ethical standards in research.

The mention of the right to privacy, while certainly significant in research contexts, is more about specific considerations for data protection and confidentiality rather than a core ethical principle from the Belmont Report itself