Ética e regulação da pesquisa nas Ciências Sociais na sociedade do consentimento

Abstract

This article stands on the argument that contemporary society could be labeled as "the consent society". The need to protect fundamental rights in the so-called knowledge society increasingly leads to the emergence of conscious and free practices of consent in citizens' day-to-day lives. This logic extends from the world of consumption to the universe of the daily use of applications for mobile devices, passing, inevitably, by research practices. Starting from the European reality and based on some specificities related to Portugal, we address the challenges that are posed, in the current context, to Social Sciences in the field of ethics and the regulation of research. Considering the dossier in which this paper is included, we try to uphold a dialogue with the resolution on the norms applicable to researches in Human and Social Sciences (Resolution nº 510, of April 7 th , 2016).Keywords: Ethics. Research regulation. Social Sciences. Consent. ResumenEste artículo se basa en el argumento de que la sociedad contemporánea podría ser etiquetada como "la sociedad del consentimiento". La necesidad de proteger los derechos fundamentales en la llamada sociedad del conocimiento conduce cada vez más a la aparición de prácticas conscientes y libres de consentimiento en la vida cotidiana de los ciudadanos. Esta lógica se extiende desde el mundo del consumo hasta el universo del uso diario de aplicaciones para dispositivos móviles, pasando, inevitablemente, por las prácticas de investigación. Partiendo de la realidad europea y con base en algunas especificidades relacionadas con Portugal, abordamos los desafíos que se plantean, en el contexto actual, a las Ciencias Sociales en el campo de la ética y de la regulación de la investigación científica. Teniendo en cuenta el dossier temático en el que se incluye este documento, tratamos de mantener un diálogo con la resolución sobre las normas aplicables a las investigaciones en Ciencias Humanas y Sociales (Resolución nº 510, de 7 de abril de 2016).

Informed Consent in Social Sciences Research: Ethical Challenges

“…It is relevant in the way of proceeding in the respect for the intrinsic and extrinsic values of science, both during the process and in the development and dissemination of the final product(s). Thus, there is no ethically neutral research, and ethics goes through all phases of scientific research, whatever its audience (Gómez, Flores, & Jimé nez, 1999;Tuckman, 2000;Lima, 2006;Graue & Walsh, 2003;Miller, Werner-Lin, Walser, Biswas, & Bernhardt, 2017), without forgetting, naturally, the new ethical challenges posed by the Internet and the digital world (Peixoto, 2017;Saunders, Kitzinger, & Kitzinger, 2015).…”

“…Currently, the existence of informed consent is becoming, whenever possible, more widespread (Peixoto, 2017). ISA's Code of Ethics itself is explicit when it states: "The consent of research subjects and informants should be obtained in advance" (ISA, 2001, para.…”

“…Participants are then invited to sign and date a document stating that they agree to participate. Informed consent should always include a clause according to which participants are free to withdraw from the study at any time (CIS, 2017;Peixoto, 2017).…”

“…Information to the participants includes the research title, the researchers' name and functions, scope and description of the research project, research objectives, location where the research will be developed, methodological strategy to be used (choice of methods and techniques, procedures for data collection and recording, tasks required of participants, interventions to be carried out, duration of the participation, frequency of data collection, instructions, questionnaires, interview scripts, and tests, among others, may be provided in annex), advantages and benefits, drawbacks and risks, project duration, confidentiality of the data collected, results dissemination, researchers' responsibilities, participation and withdrawal, compensation (incentives offered to participants for their participation), project funders and managers, conflicts of interest (someone involved in the design and development of the research has private interests that may be related to the elements analysed in the study), and questions on the research. Participants should have the opportunity to ask questions and clarify any doubts they may have, either initially or at any time in the course of the research, or even after it is concluded (Lima, 2006;Peixoto, 2016Peixoto, , 2017.…”

“…Deceit is one of the grey zones in the use of certain methodologies, especially in the most intrusive ones, notwithstanding the prevalence of the basic principle that lie and deliberate deceit in research should always be avoided (Peixoto, 2016(Peixoto, , 2017. It may be argued that observing others without explaining the role of the observer is to deceive, is to hoax.…”