In deployed medical research, which principle requires fair subject selection and distribution of risks and benefits?

• A. Justice
• B. Respect for persons
• C. Beneficence
• D. Privacy.

Answer: (A)

The principle in question is Justice. It focuses on fair subject selection and the equitable distribution of the risks and benefits of research. In deployed medical research, justice means choosing study participants in a way that avoids exploiting or overburdening certain groups (especially vulnerable populations) and ensures that the benefits of the research, as well as the burdens of participation, are shared fairly across populations. This prevents scenarios where one group bears most of the risks while another enjoys most of the benefits.

Respect for persons centers on autonomy and informed consent, not on how participants are chosen or how risks and benefits are allocated. Beneficence is about maximizing benefits and minimizing harms, but it doesn’t specify the fairness of who bears those risks or who reaps the benefits. Privacy concerns protecting personal data, rather than the allocation of risks and benefits.