Abstract
This work presents historical facts that resulted in the first health research normalization in Brazil and seeks to highlight the importance of social participation in its control. Going through the Regulatory marks of the countries, the social movements were evidently responsible for changes in the system formed by the research ethics committees and by the National Committee of Research Ethics. However, there are hindrances regarding the standards of analysis in the diverse committees, the difficulties of following the projects in course, and the register on the Plataforma Brasil. The Brazilian system is, nonetheless, a referential for other countries regarding respect and protection of research participants and the insertion of society in the committees.
Ethics; research. Ethics committees; research. Social control; formal