Which of the following is a core ethical principle addressed by the Belmont Report?

• A. Informed consent
• B. Beneficence
• C. Assent
• D. Maleficence

Answer: (B)

Beneficence means actively promoting participants' welfare by maximizing potential benefits and minimizing possible harms in research. The Belmont Report identifies this as one of its three guiding principles for human subjects research, alongside respect for persons and justice. In practice, it pushes researchers to design studies with a favorable risk–benefit ratio, implement safeguards to reduce risks, monitor for adverse effects, and stop a study if harms begin to outweigh benefits. Informed consent reflects respect for persons, and assent is a related concept for those who cannot consent. Maleficence isn’t listed as a Belmont principle; it’s a broader idea in ethics (non-maleficence—do no harm), but the Belmont framework centers on beneficence as the core obligation to promote welfare.