Final answer:
Guidance on ethical conduct of clinical research encompasses the Nuremberg Code, Institutional Review Boards, and ethical guidelines from associations such as the American Sociological Association, ensuring protection of human subjects and adherence to principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sources of guidance on the ethical conduct of clinical research are essential for protecting human dignity and safety in medical studies. Modern ethical frameworks in clinical research stem from historical events which demonstrated a clear need for increased protections for study participants. One primary source of guidance is the Nuremberg Code, developed in response to unethical human experimentation during World War II. Other safeguards include the establishment of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), which review and approve research proposals involving human subjects to ensure compliance with ethical standards, including informed consent and respect for autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice.
Additionally, organizations like the American Sociological Association (ASA) provide ethical guidelines for conducting sociological research, handling data, accepting funding, and publishing results to prevent harm to human subjects. Ethical standards for research involving human participants have greatly evolved, and today, good research is recognized as being ethically sound, guided by respect for human dignity, safety, and the four main ethical principles mentioned earlier.