Which among the following would be the ethical issues in a research study that involves participation of human subjects?

(A) Lack of informed consent

(B) Physical and psychological harm

(C) Excessive inducements

(D) Debriefing

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

The correct answer is A, B & C only.

When conducting research involving human participants, researchers must adhere to strict ethical principles to protect the rights, dignity, and welfare of the subjects. Let's analyze each of the given points to determine whether they constitute ethical issues (concerns or violations) or standard ethical practices:

(A) Lack of informed consent: Informed consent is a fundamental ethical requirement. It ensures that participants voluntarily agree to take part in the study after being fully informed of its purpose, risks, and benefits. A lack of informed consent is a major ethical issue and violation of participant autonomy.

(B) Physical and psychological harm: Researchers have a duty of non-maleficence (to do no harm). Exposing participants to unnecessary physical injury, pain, stress, anxiety, or emotional trauma represents a severe ethical issue.

(C) Excessive inducements: Offering overly large financial rewards or other excessive incentives can compromise a participant's ability to make a truly voluntary decision. This is known as coercion or undue influence, as the inducement may lead individuals to ignore risks they would otherwise find unacceptable, making it a key ethical issue.

(D) Debriefing: Debriefing is the process of explaining the true nature and purpose of the study to participants after their participation is complete, especially if any deception was used. Rather than being an ethical issue, debriefing is a standard ethical safeguard and corrective practice designed to mitigate harm and respect participants.

Therefore, statements (A), (B), and (C) represent ethical issues in research, while (D) is a positive ethical procedure. This confirms that the correct option is A, B & C only.