Ethical Standards of Scientific Research Involving Human Subjects in Brazil: Perspectives Concerning Psychology

AbstractBrazilian associations for research in human, social and applied social sciences have long sought ethical aspects regulation compatible with the epistemological, theoretical and methodological specificities of these sciences. Consequently, the Brazilian regulatory system (Research Ethics Committees/CEPs of the National Research Ethics Commission/CONEP) is currently undergoing an important review process. This article presents the positions taken by the National Association of Research and Postgraduate Studies in Psychology - ANPEPP. The article: (1) highlights the origins of the current ethics review model, based on biomedical research; (2) summarizes criticisms recurrent to this model; (3) identifies the directions required for the improvement of the system; and (4) lists the challenges to be overcome in the current process of creating specific regulations for the human and social sciences. The considerations presented highlight two crucial points that challenge the construction of a specific resolution for research ethics in the human and social sciences: (1) the clear characterization of what is meant by 'research in the human and social sciences' - and that would, therefore, have its ethical review regulated from the perspective of the specific resolution for the human and social sciences; and (2) the definition of parameters from which different risk levels in studies can be identified.