Beyond ethics protocols in the Humanities and Social Sciences Research: the intangible uncertainty and ways of controlling the future

Abstract

This article proposes reflections on the construction of ethical care in conducting research in the human and social sciences,thinking “beyond protocols” – an expression that seeks to create tension in the research ethics reduction to the adequate fulfillmentof protocols, documents and requirements in the Plataforma Brasil system. In an essay format, the reflections presented herecome from our academic and activist trajectories as researchers, advisors and evaluators of projects and studies, as well as ourexperience within Research Ethics Committees; the foundational axis is the confrontation with the processes of medicalizationof life, which pose a risk to science practice. We begin this essay by briefly revisiting some aspects of the history of ethicalevaluation in research, with an emphasis on the Brazilian context, highlighting some disputes within this field. Next, we turnto the act of research in its craftsmanship, sharing some elements that we consider essential for the construction of researchthat respects the dignity of the people involved, from planning to the writing reports and other publications. We aim that theprovocations raised here may resonate, accompanying the movements and reflections of individuals interested in the debate.