revelations in the early 1970s about egregious medical experiments provided the impetus for developing federal standards for protecting human research subjects; however, a close reading of the regulations at 45 cfr 46 will find mention of research methods and topics of inquiry relevant to researchers in the social and behavioral sciences, as well as education and the humanities. methods mentioned include surveys, interviews, focus groups, participant observation, observations of public behavior, and the analysis of existing data. topics include research on perception, cognition, motivation, identity, language, communication, cultural beliefs or practices, and social behavior.