The free and clarified consent term in research with humans: a case study

Abstract

The consolidation of the Brazilian system of ethical review of researches with humans is the outcome of Resolution 196/96 by the National Health Council, which contributed significantly to bioethics expansion in Brazil. The current paper aims to verify the use of free and clarified consent term (FCCT) in dissertations and thesis defended in Health Sciences graduate programs at the University of Brasilia during the period of August 1996 to December 2006. The outcomes show an awareness landscape in researchers’ training regarding effective application of bioethics pillars, more specifically the respect for the principle of research subjects’ autonomy.