The ethics of psychiatric research-in particular drug-free research on schizophrenia--have been the focus of intense interest in the last two years. We have witnessed a prolifera-tion of professional conferences on the topic, often with coverage in the lay press. The American Psychiatric Association has organized a work group to formulate ethical guidelines for psychiatric researchers. At the federal level, the National Institute of Mental Health has indicated its inter-est in funding research that explores the ethical issues involved in studies of persons with psychiatric disorders. Why this sudden interest in the ethics of psychiatric research, an area that has been quiescent for nearly a decade and a half? This paper explores the context from which much of this interest has grown: drug-free research on schizophrenia. I consider the roots of the controversy, the na-ture both of the disorder and of the research that lies at the core of the debate, and the ethical issues that have been raised.