This document provides background information and instructions for writing an op-ed on research ethics regulations. It discusses the historical development of regulations from the Belmont Report to the Common Rule. It also summarizes 5 key cases that raise ethical issues: the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, the Guatemala Syphilis Experiment, research on Huron-Wendat remains, debates around IRB oversight of fieldwork and social sciences, and genetic research with the Yanomami people. Students are asked to outline regulations for research involving human subjects, how much freedom researchers should have, and how to prevent abuse and ensure societal benefits.