UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Beneficence is an ethical principle that obliges researchers to promote the well-being of participants by designing studies that have favourable risk–benefit ratios. It requires careful assessment of potential harms, such as psychological distress or privacy breaches, and steps to reduce them as far as possible. At the same time, beneficence encourages researchers to pursue knowledge that can yield meaningful social or scientific benefits. Consequently, the requirement to maximise benefits and minimise harms is accurately captured by the principle of beneficence.

Option A:
Autonomy refers to respecting individuals’ rights to make informed, voluntary decisions about participation, typically operationalised through informed consent procedures. While it is crucial, it emphasises decision-making freedom rather than balancing harms and benefits, so autonomy is not the correct completion.

Option B:
Beneficence guides the design, conduct and monitoring of research, encouraging features such as debriefing, support services and careful inclusion/exclusion criteria to protect participants. It also supports ongoing ethical review when new risks are identified. These functions match closely with the description in the stem.

Option C:
Justice is the ethical principle concerned with fairness in the distribution of the burdens and benefits of research, ensuring that no group is systematically exploited or excluded. It does not primarily address the overall level of harm or benefit for individual participants, so justice is not appropriate here.

Option D:
Fidelity refers to maintaining trust, honesty and faithfulness in professional relationships, ensuring that promises made to participants are honoured. While important for ethics, it is not the principle specifically focused on risk–benefit balancing, so fidelity is not the best answer.