Research Ethics in dissertations and theses in the Education area: a gaze at the Northeast region

Abstract

The general objective of this research was to analyze the record of the ethical procedures used in Master’s and Doctoral research in the Education area, completed in 2013 and 2017, in Graduate Programs with grade 5 in the Northeast region of Brazil, considered to be of national excellence by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes). The mixed approach and the documentary research method were used. Statistical analysis was applied for quantitative data and content analysis for qualitative ones. It was observed that, in 2013 and 2017, 679 dissertations and theses were defended in the analyzed Programs. A sample of 657 (96.76%) of these productions was accessed. Only 151 (22.98%) were approved by Research Ethics Committee (REC) and 279 (42.47%) referred to the use of Informed Consent Form (ICF). In addition, there was a growth trend in the number of research submitted and approved by REC and that use ICF, in the works defended from 2013 to 2017.