What is the primary purpose of the Nuremberg Trials in relation to research ethics?

The primary purpose of the Nuremberg Trials was to address crimes against humanity, particularly in the context of the atrocities committed during World War II by the Nazi regime. These trials marked a significant moment in international law and ethics, as they sought to hold individuals accountable for their actions that violated human rights and humanitarian norms.

While the trials themselves did not focus solely on research ethics, they highlighted the need for ethical standards in research, particularly in how participants are treated. This led to a greater awareness of the importance of establishing ethical guidelines to protect human subjects in research. The Nuremberg Code, which emerged from the trials, specifically outlined principles such as voluntary consent, which later contributed to the establishment of informed consent as a crucial aspect of ethical research. However, the foundational goal of the Nuremberg Trials was chiefly to respond to the egregious violations of human rights, thereby establishing a precedent in international law.

The other options are relevant to research ethics but are not the primary purpose of the Nuremberg Trials. The establishment of informed consent, the creation of Institutional Review Boards, and the definition of principles of confidentiality followed as implications of the ethical discussions that arose from the trials and related events, but they are not the primary focus of what the N