Which trio of ethical principles comprises the Belmont Report?

• A. Respect for Persons, Beneficence, Justice
• B. Respect for Persons, Human Rights, Justice
• C. Respect for Children, Beneficence, Justice
• D. Respect for Children, Human Rights, Justice

Answer: (A)

The Belmont Report centers on three guiding ethical principles for research with human subjects: Respect for persons, Beneficence, and Justice. Respect for persons means recognizing and protecting individual autonomy while giving extra protections to those with diminished autonomy, which translates into informed consent and voluntary participation. Beneficence requires designing studies to maximize potential benefits and minimize harms, carefully weighing risks and benefits. Justice asks for a fair distribution of research burdens and benefits, ensuring that no group is unfairly targeted or excluded from potential gains. The trio of these exact principles aligns with the Belmont framework, making this option the correct one. Other choices introduce concepts not part of the Belmont core, such as framing protections around children or broader notions like human rights.