Research ethics is more than approval by an ethics committee
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33361/RPQ.2026.v.14.n.42.1601Keywords:
Ethics, Ethics committee, Social sciences, Human sciencesAbstract
This essay addresses ethics in social research and the humanities without dwelling on ethics committees. The references are guidelines from the European Union, Norway, and the American Sociological Association. Similarities can be observed in the guidelines of the three documents, although they take into account the specificities of each field, country, or region: freedom of thought and action of the researcher; responsibility of the researcher, their institution, and those who fund it to the human dignity of participants. The focus of the documents is on the purpose of research: the good of humanity. Their results must be shared with the public to generate change. Ethics committees, indeed, must exist to prevent and curb errors by researchers and participants. The text concludes that the time of the solitary researcher, uncommitted to what they do and why, is over, as their work must support positive transformations for humanity.Downloads
References
ALVES, D. A.; TEIXEIRA, W. M. Ética em pesquisa em ciências sociais: regulamentação, prática científica e controvérsias. Educação e Pesquisa, São Paulo, v. 46, e217376, p. 1-20, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1678-4634202046217376
AMERICAN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. Code of Ethics and to the Policies and Procedures of the ASA Committee on Professional Ethics. Washington: ASA, Committee on Professional Ethics (COPE), 2008. Disponível em: https://www.asanet.org/wp-content/uploads/code_of_ethics.pdf
BRASIL. Resolução nº 196, de 10 de dezembro de 1996. Aprova as diretrizes e normas regulamentadoras de pesquisas envolvendo seres humanos. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde, Conselho Nacional de Saúde, 1996. Disponível em: https://www.gov.br/conselho-nacional-de-saude/pt-br/acesso-a-informacao/atos-normativos/resolucoes/1996/resolucao-no-196.pdf/view
BRASIL. Resolução nº 510, de 7 de abril de 2016. Dispõe sobre as normas éticas aplicáveis a pesquisas em Ciências Humanas e Sociais. Diário Oficial da União: seção 1, Brasília, DF, n. 98, p. 44-46, 24 maio 2016.
BRASIL. Lei nº 14.874, de 28 de maio de 2024. Dispõe sobre a pesquisa com seres humanos e institui o sistema nacional de ética em pesquisa com seres humanos. Diário Oficial da União: seção 1, Brasília, DF, n. 103, p. 3-7, 29 maio 2024.
BRITISH SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. Statement of ethical practices. Belmont: British Sociological Association, 2017. Disponível em: https://pt.scribd.com/document/400754462/Bsa-Statement-of-Ethical-Practice
CANADIAN INSTITUTES OF HEALTH RESEARCH. Tri-Council policy statement: Ethical conduct for research involving humans – TCPS 2 (2018). Canada: Government of Canada, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, 2018. Disponível em: https://ethics.gc.ca/eng/tcps2-eptc2_2018_chapter3-chapitre3.html
DEANS OF SOCIAL SCIENCES IN THE NETHERLANDS. Code of Ethics for research in the Social and behavioural sciences involving human participants [online]. 2018. Disponível em: https://www.studeersnel.nl/nl/document/universiteit-van-amsterdam/introductie-psychobiologie/code-of-ethics-for-research-in-the-social-and-behavioural-sciences-v2-230518/118377561
DUARTE, L. F. D. A ética em pesquisa nas ciências humanas e o imperialismo bioético no Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Sociologia, v. 3, n. 5, p. 31-52, 2015. https://doi.org/10.20336/rbs.90
EUROPEAN COMMISSION. How to complete your ethics self-assessment. Bruxelas: European Commission, DG Research & Innovation, 2021. Disponível em: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/guidance/how-to-complete-your-ethics-self-assessment_en.pdf
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT. Charter of fundamental rights of the European Union. In: Official Journal of the European Communities, C 364, p. 1-22, 2000. Luxembourg: European Parliament. Disponível em: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/charter/pdf/text_en.pdf
GUERRIERO, I. C. Z. Ética nas pesquisas em ciências humanas e sociais: entre a norma e sua aplicação. Práxis Educativa, v. 18, p. 1-18, 2023. https://doi.org/10.5212/PraxEduc.v.18.21203.010
GUERRIERO, I. C. Z.; MINAYO, M. C. S. A aprovação da Resolução CNS nº 510/2016 é um avanço para a ciência brasileira. Saúde e Sociedade, São Paulo, v. 28, n. 4, p. 299-310, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-12902019190232
INTERNATIONAL SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. Code of Ethics. 2001. Disponível em: https://www.isa-sociology.org/en/about-isa/code-of-ethics
NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR RESEARCH ETHICS IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES AND THE HUMANITIES (NESH). Guidelines for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities. 5. ed. Oslo: National Research Ethics Committees, 2021. 52 p.
NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR RESEARCH ETHICS IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES AND THE HUMANITIES (NESH). Guidelines for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities. 5. ed. Oslo, 2023. Disponível em: https://www.forskningsetikk.no/en/guidelines/social-sciences-and-humanities/guidelines-for-research-ethics-in-the-social-sciences-and-the-humanities/
NORUEGA. Act on the Organization of Research Ethics Work, de 1º de maio de 2017. Oslo: Ministry of Education and Research, Kunnskapsdepartementet, 2017. Disponível em: https://lovdata.no/dokument/NLE/lov/2017-04-28-23.
OATES,J. et al. Code of Human Research Ethics. The British Psychological Society, 2021. 42 p. https://doi.org/10.53841/bpsrep.2021.inf180.1
THANKAPPAN, K. R.; CASH, R. A. Ethical Issues in Biomedical Research on Human Beings. Indian Pediatrics, v. 38, p. 514-517, 2001. Disponível em: https://www.indianpediatrics.net/view-article.php?issue=8023
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Qualitative Research Journal

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Essa revista é licenciada pelo sistema creative commons 4.0, não-comercial.






