Documentary analysis of benefit-sharing in biomedical research

Abstract

Benefit-sharing, an important aspect of research in developing countries, ensures that natural resources and
local traditional knowledge are recognized and valued. This study had the objective of analyzing, in official
documents of graduate medical programs, the type of justice adopted to comply with the benefit-sharing
framework, the compatibility with requirements in international documents, and the feasibility of plans
contained in dissertations and theses. Documentary analysis and a structured questionnaire were used to
verify the compliance with criteria that define benefit-sharing. Two thirds of the studies analyzed presented
no context units that could be characterized as benefit/benefit-sharing. The studies considered as providing benefits (33.3%) presented correspondence to contractual justice and lack of plans that ensured rights to
participants. General and specific regulations for a continuing education program for members of ethics
committees and researchers need to be updated.