研究者應當以「自主的主體」（autonomous agents）原則對待受試者。所謂「自主的主體」是指個人可以思索自己的目標和具體行動；研究者必須尊重受試者的思考、意見和選擇，除非受試者的選擇可能危害別人，否則應該盡量不去干預他們。

1. A moral principle, with roots in Kantian philosophy, which holds that we should respect the choices of autonomous decision-makers and that we should protect the interests of those who have diminished autonomy.
2. Respect for persons incorporates at least two ethical convictions: first, that individuals should be treated as autonomous agents, and second, that persons with diminished autonomy are entitled to protection. The principle of respect for persons thus divides into two separate moral requirements: the requirement to acknowledge autonomy and the requirement to protect those with diminished autonomy.

蔡甫昌（2021）。受試者保護原則與實務臺灣學術倫理教育資源中心。 http://ethics.moe.deu.tw/

1. Resnik, D. B. (2015). Glossary of commonly used terms in research ethics. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/bioethics/glossary/index.cfm
2. The National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research. (1979). The Belmont report: Ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of human subjects of research. U.S. Government Printing Office.

• 原則上「單字中英文釋義」欄位的內容皆採用原文引用（即未經改寫），僅少部分內容有經微幅文字編輯。若欲對釋義內容有更深入的瞭解，敬請參考「資料來源」欄位所提供之原始出處的完整內容。
• 資料來源無編號：代表釋義內容出自同一筆來源。
• 資料來源有項目符號：代表釋義內容是引用多筆來源合寫而成。
• 資料來源有編號：代表該來源是相同編號之釋義內容的原始出處。