Enhancing Ethical Communication in Brazilian Computing Research: A Framework for Human Involvement Reporting

Background: Brazilian computing research exhibits notable deficiencies in reporting human participation, with inconsistent ethical communication practices that compromise transparency and reproducibility. Goal: This study analyzes current practices for reporting human involvement and proposes a standardized textual framework to enhance the communication of human participation in computing research. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of more than 10,000 publications from SBC symposia (2013–2022), identifying patterns through keyword searches and content analysis. Using a pragmatic methodology, we developed a framework grounded in ethical requirements from Brazil’s CEP/Conep system and best practices from the literature. Results: Our analysis revealed: (1) most studies involving humans lacked CEP documentation; (2) widespread inconsistencies in terminology; (3) insufficient participant characterization. The proposed framework addresses these issues by defining mandatory and recommended reporting elements, including types of involvement, ethical approvals, risk disclosures, and participant profiles. Conclusion: This work introduces the first standardized approach to reporting human participation in Brazilian computing research. Although simple in design, the framework represents an important step toward ethical transparency and provides a foundation for future improvements in research communication practices.