Research is the foundation of medical advancement, and research involving human people is eventually required. Understanding the causes, progression, and effects of diseases to enhance therapeutic, diagnostic, and preventive interventions (methods, procedures, and treatments) is the main goal of medical research using human subjects. Research is nevertheless necessary to continuously assess the quality, safety, efficacy, efficiency, and accessibility of even the well-proven programs. Ethical guidelines that uphold and guarantee the dignity of every human subject and safeguard their rights and health apply to medical research. Even though producing new knowledge is the main objective of medical research, research subjects' rights and interests must always come first.

Physicians must consider national ethical, legal, and regulatory norms and standards for research involving human beings in addition to applicable international norms and standards. Any national or international ethical, legal, or regulatory necessity should not be allowed to reduce or remove the rights for research subjects as specified in this declaration. It is important to perform medical research in a way that reduces any potential environmental damage. Only those with the proper scientific education, training, and credentials—as well as the necessary sense of ethics—should undertake medical research with human subjects. A capable and suitably qualified doctor or other health care practitioner must oversee research involving patients or healthy volunteers It is important to give underrepresented groups in medicine enough access to participate in research.