The 1978 Belmont Report is a 5,000-word essay by the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research that outlines basic ethical principles for the protection of human subjects in research projects. The report, titled The Belmont Report: Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research, has standardized the basis for decision making by institutional review boards in the United States and influenced similar bodies around the world. This entry discusses what led up to the report, the report’s development, and the principles and guidelines found in the report.