Recherche et non-recherche. Les valeurs à l’oeuvre dans l’évaluation des protocoles épidémiologiques

Abstract

Background. -Evaluation and ethical review of epidemiological research projects raises the problem of the limits between research and nonresearch. This ambiguous boundary reflects the status of this discipline at the crossroads between research and practical action. The question then is: in the field of health research, what gives data collection and analysis its quality of scientific activity?Methods. -A conceptual and empirical study has been conducted about the practices of epidemiological research evaluation, centred on the case of the French Consultative Committee for the data processing in health research (CCTIRS), which is a consultative board that permits the National commission for the personal data protection (CNIL) to take decision about health research protocols that process personal data. The study was realized from 2003 to 2006.Results. -It is shown that the evaluation of such research protocols processing personal data articulates intimately two kinds of criteria: methodology and relevance. By studying and characterizing the different kinds of protocols that are judged not to be ''scientific research'' (poor science, pseudo-science and non-science), it becomes possible to understand the motives that lead to distinguish between what is and what is not research in epidemiology. A special attention is given to two kinds of problematic cases: firstly, the case of conflict of interests into the protocols themselves (i.e. seeding trials or surveys); secondly, the problem of epidemiological registers and other databases which are not hypothesisoriented. This last case leads to relate the conceptual frame of the committee with historical circumstances (the way which this discipline was introduced in France) and also mere epistemological considerations (the question of induction and generalizability).Conclusion. -The activity of this committee illustrates a differentiated conception of what is research in epidemiology, influenced by explanatory analytical research paradigms. Finally, the field of epidemiological research appears to be structured by some values that appear through the elaboration and the application of the ethical and regulatory texts. # 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.Keywords: Conflict of interest; Epidemiological study characteristics; Confidentiality; Ethics; Research; Peer review Résumé Position du problème. -L'évaluation des projets de recherche épidémiologique et leur révision éthique soulève le problème de la limite entre recherche et non-recherche. Cette frontière ambiguë reflète le statut de cette discipline, au carrefour de la recherche et de l'action. La question est donc ici : dans le champ de la recherche en santé, qu'est-ce qui fait de la collecte et de l'analyse de données une activité à valeur scientifique ?Méthodes. -Une enquête empirique et conceptuelle a été réalisée en prenant pour objet les pratiques d'évaluation des protocoles de recherche épidémiologique. Elle est centrée sur le cas du Comité consultatif sur le traitement de l'information en mat...

Quatro tensões na saúde pública

“…A pesquisa é comumente separada da avaliação porque ela é dividida em componentes que englobam a avaliação do processo (até que ponto uma intervenção foi bem conduzida, se ela alcança o grupo alvo pretendido), a avaliação do impacto (efeitos imediatos) e a avaliação do resultado (efeitos subsequentes ou de longo alcance). Essa rearticulação da pesquisa e da avaliação representa um desafio epistemológico porque os critérios de qualidade e os processos são distintos (Lechopier, 2010). Trata-se, entretanto, de um dos desafios científicos atuais da promoção da saúde.…”