Which ethical principles are central to research with human participants?

• A. Informed consent, confidentiality, risk mitigation, beneficence, and avoidance of harm.
• B. Deception as a standard practice.
• C. Ignoring risk to ensure participation.
• D. Shared ownership of data only among researchers.

Answer: (A)

Protecting participants’ rights and welfare is at the heart of research with human participants. The best answer reflects the duties that guide ethical work: obtaining informed consent so individuals voluntarily agree to participate with a clear understanding of what the study involves; maintaining confidentiality to protect privacy; and minimizing risk while pursuing beneficial outcomes, which embodies beneficence and nonmaleficence. These elements together ensure respect for persons, minimize potential harm, and promote the well-being of participants. Deception is not a standard, universal practice and is only used under strict ethical justification with appropriate debriefing; ignoring risk directly contravenes core ethics; data ownership among researchers is a governance issue, not a central principle guiding participant protection.