What does respect for persons mean?

• A. Autonomy and informed consent.
• B. Maximizing research benefits.
• C. Adhering to budget constraints.
• D. Ensuring data standardization.

Answer: (A)

Respect for persons centers on recognizing individuals as autonomous agents and protecting those with diminished autonomy. In practice, this appears as informed consent: providing clear, comprehensible information about what the study involves, including risks and benefits, ensuring the person understands it, and making participation voluntary with the option to withdraw at any time. It also means offering extra protections for people who may have reduced decision-making capacity to prevent coercion or exploitation. While other concepts in research ethics—like beneficence (maximizing benefits and minimizing harm) or considerations of feasibility and rigor (budget and data standards)—are important, they address different aspects of conducting ethical research.