Normative Ethical Principles and Theories:

Descriptive theory explains how things are (e.g., this paper is white; most Americans eat meat; etc.), whereas normative or prescriptive theory tells us how things ought to be (people ought to be honest, etc.). Ethics is about what ought to be, not what is. We simply would not need to consider what we ought to do if we always did it as a matter of course. Since we are focusing on morality and ethics, we are concerned with what morally ought to be the case. All ethical theories use various normative ethical principles in assessing or justifying actions and behavior. To be practical and beneficial, ethical discourse must use understandings, procedures, and judgment criteria that all rational people who are concerned with morality and ethics must affirm. We need to understand that ethical principles must be the ground rules for our moral decision-making—they should not simply be factors we take into consideration.
Below are fundamental principles/concepts that pertain to different ethical theories. A word of caution, however, when justifying (e.g., defending, arguing for, etc.) your moral judgment or moral rule: Do not simply select two or three normative principles that are part of a normative theory. You must USE the theory, of which the principles are a part, to justify your position, not simply list principles. You must clearly explain how these ethical principles defend or justify your judgment or rule. Review your lecture notes from the ethics/ philosophy course and the books used in the class. Also, review very closely the Moral Reasoning Guidelines for the appropriate evaluation, discovery, and justification procedures.

(Source: http://www.stedwards.edu/ursery/norm.htm)