Henry Beecher and Consent to Research: a critical re-examination

Henry Beecher is an iconic figure in research ethics, best known for blowing the whistle on unethical clinical research in 1966. This article traces the evolution of Beecher’s view on consent to research and juxtaposes these views with his own practices relating to informed consent in the conduct of clinical research. Additionally, critical examination of Beecher’s conception of informed consent as an ideal has important implications for contemporary research ethics.