Which of the following lists core ethical principles in public health research?

• A. Autonomy, deception, coercion
• B. Respect for persons, beneficence, justice
• C. Privacy only
• D. Equity, fidelity, confidentiality

Answer: (B)

The foundational idea being tested is the ethical framework that guides human subjects research in public health. The best answer reflects the three principles from the Belmont Report: respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. Respect for persons means honoring individuals’ autonomy and protecting those who may have diminished decision-making capacity, which is why practices like deception or coercion are unethical. Beneficence requires researchers to maximize potential benefits while minimizing possible harms to participants. Justice calls for fair distribution of the burdens and benefits of research across different groups.

Other options fall short because they either include practices that violate ethical standards (deception, coercion), focus on only one aspect (privacy alone), or combine terms that don’t capture the full, widely recognized trio (for example, a mix like equity, fidelity, and confidentiality) and omit one or more of the core principles.