Ethics Context

The Nuremberg Code's requirement for voluntary consent from human research subjects has been highly influential in the development of national research ethics policies. However, strict adherence to the Nuremberg Code would curtail some types of socially important research and research involving children and adults not able to consent for themselves.

Subsequent codes of research ethics have balanced the need to seek benefits of research for the subject, others, or society against the ethical requirement of seeking free and informed consent. Consequently, some research may proceed without the voluntary consent of the research subject. Nevertheless, in most instances, the potential research subject must give free and informed consent prior to the research commencing and that consent must be maintained during the project.