Ethics and Research Committee

I. Presentation

Art. 1. The Benedito Coscia Scientific Journal (RCBC) establishes these Regulations to govern the functioning of its Ethics and Research Committee (CEP-RCBC), in accordance with Resolutions No. 510/2016 and No. 466/2012 of the National Health Council (CNS) and other applicable norms.

Art. 2. The CEP-RCBC is the body responsible for guiding, supervising and deliberating on the ethical aspects of research submitted for publication in RCBC, with the objective of guaranteeing the dignity, autonomy and well-being of research participants.

II. Composition

Art. 3. The CEP-RCBC is composed of internal members and external consultants, appointed by the RCBC Editorial Board for a two-year term, with one renewal allowed.

Art. 4. The minimum composition of the CEP-RCBC is three members trained in Education, Philosophy, Theology or related disciplines, including at least one member with proven experience in research involving human subjects.

Art. 5. Participation in the CEP-RCBC is voluntary and unpaid, constituting a relevant service to the academic community.

III. Competencies

Art. 6. The CEP-RCBC is responsible for:

  • I – analyzing the ethical aspects of research submitted to RCBC involving human subjects;
  • II – issuing substantiated opinions on the ethical adequacy of submitted works;
  • III – recommending adjustments, reformulations or rejection of manuscripts for ethical reasons;
  • IV – deliberating on reports of scientific misconduct related to published works or works under evaluation;
  • V – proposing updates to RCBC's ethical standards in line with current legislation;
  • VI – ensuring compliance with CNS Resolutions No. 510/2016 and No. 466/2012 and the General Data Protection Law (LGPD – Law No. 13,709/2018).

IV. General Research Ethics Standards

Art. 7. Every article submitted to RCBC involving research with human subjects must comply with CNS Resolutions No. 466/2012 and No. 510/2016, as applicable to the nature of the research.

Art. 8. Research involving human subjects must mandatorily present proof of approval issued by a Research Ethics Committee accredited with the CEP/CONEP System or an equivalent recognized body.

Art. 9. The Free and Informed Consent Form (TCLE) is an indispensable document and must be obtained from all participants before data collection begins, fully respecting the autonomy, privacy and dignity of each individual.

Art. 10. The identification of research participants in articles published by RCBC is prohibited, except with express, formal and documented consent of the participant who is of legal age and capacity.

Art. 11. Authors are fully responsible for the truthfulness and accuracy of the ethical declarations in the manuscript, bearing civil and academic responsibility for any irregularities.

V. Special Clause: Research Involving Children and Adolescents

Atenção — Requisitos adicionais obrigatórios

The provisions of this section apply to all research that involves, directly or indirectly, children and adolescents as defined by the Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA – Law No. 8,069/1990), and are of mandatory and non-derogable observance.

Art. 12. Research involving children and adolescents is subject to additional ethical requirements, of mandatory observance, regardless of other editorial evaluation criteria.

§ 1. The Free and Informed Consent Form (TCLE) must be obtained from parents or legal guardians, in writing and unequivocally, before any data collection involving the minor.

§ 2. When the child or adolescent has comprehension conditions compatible with their age group and degree of maturity, an additional Free and Informed Assent Form (TALE) must also be obtained, without prejudice to the TCLE from legal guardians.

§ 3. Presentation of a favorable opinion from an external Research Ethics Committee, accredited with the CEP/CONEP System, is mandatory for all research involving children and adolescents; internal approval by CEP-RCBC is a necessary but not sufficient condition for publication.

§ 4. The identification of any child or adolescent in texts, figures, tables, supplementary data or any other elements of the article is absolutely prohibited, even with express consent of legal guardians.

§ 5. In case of suspected or verified violation of minor protection norms, RCBC shall follow this protocol:

  • a) immediate notification of the author(s), granting a non-extendable period of ten business days for formal response;
  • b) preventive suspension of the article on the OJS platform during the review period, without prejudice to other editorial deadlines;
  • c) analysis by CEP-RCBC within fifteen business days from the author(s) response or the end of the deadline without reply;
  • d) in case of confirmed violation, definitive removal of the article from the platform and formal communication to the editorial board and, when applicable, to competent authorities, including the Child Protection Council;
  • e) recording of the episode in the journal's scientific integrity history, with prohibition of new submissions by the involved author(s) for a minimum period of five years.

Warning: Ethical violations related to research with minors imply immediate removal of the article and communication to competent authorities, regardless of any other editorial procedure.

VI. Final Provisions

Art. 13. Omitted cases shall be resolved by the Editor-in-Chief of RCBC, after consulting the CEP-RCBC, based on the principles of bioethics — autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice — and current Brazilian legislation.

Art. 14. These Regulations come into force on the date of their publication on the RCBC website, revoking any contrary provisions.