The Belmont Report Questions

1. What were some of the events that caused the Belmont report to be written?
Some of the events that caused the Belmont report were the reported abuses of human subjects in biomedical experiments during the Second World War and the Nuremberg War that lead to prototypes for later ethical codes.

2.What are the “Basic Ethical Principles” cited in the Belmont Report?
The Belmont Report cites three “Basic Ethical Principles” which is the respect of persons, beneficence and justice. The principle of respect of persons lists two ethical convictions first that individuals should be treated as autonomous agents and that persons with diminished autonomy are entitled to protection. Next, the beneficence ethical principle that protects the decisions of the individual and protects them from harm. Some of the actions that they may take in research are to maximize possible benefits and minimize possible harms. The principle of justice mentions that in a research a person should be treated in an equal share in the area of social status, individual needs, and according to their effort.


3. How are the “Basic Ethical Principles” assured in research practice?
The “Basic Ethical Principles” are assured in research practice by the applications of informed consent and information of the research to the subjects. Also, the study being performed should be well organized and presentable to the subject as well the agreement of voluntarily participation in the research. In addition, the committee must review the assessment of risks and benefits to know the small or high risks. These “Basic Ethical Principles” serve as guidelines to conduct research “in order to enhance the well-being of a particular individual.”