Research Ethics Committee of the University of São Paulo Nursing School: experience of the first six years

Abstract

The aim of this study was to know the experience of the first six years of the Research Ethics Committee (REC) of the University of São Paulo Nursing School activities. The exploratory, descriptive, retrospective and quantitative study analised the records of the REC and of all the 401 research protocols submitted for appreciation from 31st August, 1998 to 17th September, 2004. The results showed that 98.7% of protocols were from in-house researchers; 31.4% were master degree dissertations and 29.1% were graduate students scientific initiation. Qualitative methods were used by 43.8%. Furthemore, 99.2% were classified as Group III thematic area; 58.8% researches were conducted in public institutions and 31.7% enrolled professionals, mostly nurses as research subjects. Informed Consent accounts for 56.4% of the REC's querries. The experience of the REC of the University of São Paulo Nursing School shows its progressive consolidation.