The Tuskegee Syphilis Study violated several ethical principles in which way

In the United States the outrage over the Tuskegee Study resulted in passage of the National Research Act of 1974 and the establishment of a Health and Human Services Policy for Protection of Human Research Subjects. As a result, all US research involving human subjects must now be reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB). Subjects must voluntarily give their informed consent to participate in a research trial. "Informed consent" means that the subjects must be fully informed and understand all aspects of the research including the nature and objectives of the study, the treatment options, the risks and benefits, the data to be collected, the methods by which treatment assignments will be made, etc. Informed consent must be obtained before assignment to a treatment group.

The Tuskegee Study also prompted the establishment of the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research, which was charged with identifying the basic ethical principles that should be adhered to in the conduct of research involving human subjects. In 1978, the Commission published "Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research," also known as the Belmont Report. The Belmont Report identified three fundamental ethical principles for all human subjects research:

Link to the Belmont Report

The Health and Human Services Policy for Protection of Human Research Subjects in the Code of Federal Regulations defines human research as follows:

Research means a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge. Activities which meet this definition constitute research for purposes of this policy, whether or not they are conducted or supported under a program which is considered research for other purposes. For example, some demonstration and service programs may include research activities.

Human subject means a living individual about whom an investigator (whether professional or student) conducting research obtains:

1. Data through intervention or interaction with the individual, or
2. Identifiable private information.

Is important to note that ALL human research must be reviewed and approved by an IRB before a study is begun. This applies to observational studies and descriptive studies as well. Even if a study involves only collection of pre-existing data, e.g., based on a review of medical records, there is the possibility of harm to the subjects from research staff collecting potentially sensitive information. The definition of human research is intentionally broad, but it excludes "de-identified" information.

Link to the Policy for Protection of Human Research Subjects

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See also:

Brief outline of IRB Application Requirements at Boston Medical Center

Article by Janice Weinberg and Ken Kleinman on Good Study Design and Analysis Plans as Features of Ethical Research with Humans

When Is IRB Approval Required?

The IRB requirement is not a general requirement but rather is required of federally funded research institutions. Thus, IRB approval is required for human research that is federally funded or is being conducted by an entity that otherwise receives federal research funding. The web site for the federal office that oversees these matters is located at the following link: http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/.  A particularly helpful page is the following link: http://answers.hhs.gov/ohrp/categories/1563, which discusses the assurance process and the kind of institutions that must have IRBs because they conduct research that is regulated by the feds.  The most relevant part says, 

"HHS human subject protection regulations and policies require that any institution engaged in non-exempt human subjects research conducted or supported by HHS must submit a written assurance of compliance to OHRP. The Federal wide Assurance (FWA) is the only type of new assurance accepted and approved by OHRP. FWAs also are approved by the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) for federalwide use, which means that other federal departments and agencies that have adopted the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects (also known as Common Rule) may rely on the FWA for the research that they conduct or support. Institutions engaging in research conducted or supported by non-HHS federal departments or agencies should consult with the sponsoring department or agency for guidance regarding whether the FWA is appropriate for the research in question."

Link to HHS policy definition of engagement of an institution in human research 

However, even if you are not required by federal requirements to have your research reviewed, the funding agency may require it. Furthermore, even if you are not required to have this research reviewed by an IRB, you should feel ethically bound to protect your subjects, and the federal rules set good standards that are worth paying attention to. The federal regulations can be found here at the following link:

What ethical principles were violated in the Tuskegee Study?

How did the Tuskegee Study violate informed consent?

What was the Tuskegee syphilis Study and why was it unethical?

What ethical principles were violated in the Tuskegee syphilis Study quizlet?