Abstract
In this article, drawing on recent studies, we propose to situate the university-related ethical review boards in Brazil within a wider political and academic context. First, by re-examining origin narratives, focusing now on the 50s and 60s in the USA, we suggest that these boards are better adapted to the resolution of legal risks concerning scientific research than to the broader aim of guaranteeing ethical procedures. Second, we consider alternative styles and spaces of popular participation in ethical debates that allow us to rethink the Review Boards’ emphasis on mechanisms of episodic and individualized participation. Third, we consider the transnational dimension of efforts to regulate scientific research involving human beings, especially in the pharmaceutical industry. Finally, we look at debates surrounding the application of the Review Board model to the social sciences, highlighting political provocations that, especially in the area of anthropology, have given rise to new and challenging perspectives on research ethics. By combatting simplistic solutions, this article’s ultimate objective is to assure ongoing debate on the creative diversity of possibilities for guaranteeing ethical procedures in scientific research.
Keywords
bioethics; ethical review boards; ethnographic research; research ethics and regulations