Abstract

In North America, Canada and Québec, the practice of research ethics is articulated around the application by local authorities of certain principles and application rules found in normative documents. This framework aims to evaluate research projects in order to protect persons taking part in research. Although useful and necessary, this research ethics practice centered on the application of norms presents limits and is challenged by new scientific advances and their context of development. This article argues in favour of the broadening of research ethics practices to include three “moments” of a complete ethical process, inspired by the philosopher Paul Ricoeur – “anterior ethics”, the normative “moment” and deliberation. A broadening of research ethics would allow for the creation or multiplication of different spaces in which to deliberate on the implicit or explicit meanings and aims of scientific research, and also to include global preoccupations concerning their social context.