The investigator's duty is solely to the patient (Articles 2, 3 and 10) or volunteer (Articles 16, 18), and while there is always a need for research (Article 6), the subject's welfare must always take precedence over the interests of science and society (Article 5), and ethical considerations must always take precedence over laws and regulations (Article 9).
* riconoscere che una crescente vulnerabilità dell'individuo e di gruppi obbliga ad una speciale vigilanza (articolo 8).