Research Ethics Codes and Guidelines

Start with the principles

Begin with the note on the Belmont Report. It introduces respect for persons, justice and beneficence, linking them to informed consent, the selection of subjects, and the assessment of risks and benefits. Use these points to make a short outline of the questions researchers may need to consider.

Next, open the Belmont Research mind map. It sets out principles and guidelines for research involving human subjects, including the boundary between practice and research. The Research Ethics mind map also presents the Belmont principles, so you can compare how the note and maps organize the same ideas.

Explore guidelines and responsibilities

General ethical guidelines is a useful map for a broader view. It covers the social value of research and duties to participants, colleagues and other professionals. Ethical Guidelines offers another way into the topic through consent, confidentiality, withdrawal, debriefing, deception and protection of participants.

The Ethics flashcards include these concerns alongside animal ethics. Another flashcard deck asks about principles in the BPS code of conduct, including respect, competence, responsibility and integrity. Use the cards to recall the terms, then return to a map to see how the ideas fit together.

Connect the maps and quizzes

The quiz on ethics includes a question about the Nuremberg Code. Try it after looking at the principles, and use the Nuremberg Code mind map to continue exploring that code. International Ethic Codes offers another quiz to try alongside the maps.

As a section of the Research Ethics unit in Research methods and academic skills, this page brings codes and guidelines together in several formats. Moving between a note, a map and a quiz can help you organize the material and check your recall. Pick a resource and follow the connections that interest you.