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129 EDITORIAL Revista - Centro Universitário São Camilo - 2014;8(2):127-130 Bioethics and Bibliometry 44 years old now, Bioethics, in the Potterian sen- se, reaches, in accordance with Fourez 1 , a paradigmatic phase and enters in the post-paradigmatic phase. When Bioethics was born as a neologism (but with a deep meaning) and, so, without a well established paradigms, quickly it comes when there is structured, reaching the paradigmatic phase, the phase of matu- rity, recognized when the new knowledge area begins a structured process of creating a scientific or cultu- ral community. The best indicator of such a phase had been reached is given by the institutionalization of the graduation in the area. In Brazil, this indicator comes true with the struc- turing and installation of the 1st Graduation Program in Bioethics, in 2004, in São Camilo University Cen- ter; nearly 150 have already been given a title, among Master’s degrees and Doctorates, and this creates the first community nucleus of specifically titled bioethi- cists. There followed the creation of 3 more Graduate Programs in Brazil (Brasília, Rio de Janeiro and Para- ná). Today, there is no doubt that Bioethics is effectively a specific area of knowledge. For some, the status of area of knowledge results from the range of the field of work of Bioethics (ethics in the sciences of life, health and the environment in a broad sense), though there are nucleuses and groups that adopt reductionist points of view, limiting it to Clinical Bioethics (at most to biomedical ethics). Nevertheless, even the conception adopted by us, much more comprehensive, of the field of work of Bio- ethics, is not sufficient (though important) to charac- terize it as a specific area of knowledge. In this sense, we consider as important elements the characteristics of work (it is worth saying, of the conception of Bioe- thics) and the deepest meaning of the word. In what concerns the acting, Bioethics is, for extract, pluralist, practiced like activity of critical, reflexive judgment, with valuable option; it is an ethics, in interface between sciences of the life, of the health and of the environment. In what concerns the meaning of Bioethics, it is necessarily inter- and transdisciplinary, implicating the joint participation of the sphere of technociences (es- pecially biological and biotechnological) and the sphe- re of the human and social studies. Recognized as a specific area of knowledge and in the process of creation of an internal community, Bioe- thics begins its trajectory to the post-paradigmatic pha- se. In accordance to Fourez 1 , in this phase it is possible that the development of Bioethics is ruled, especially as regards the theme, by the community of bioethicists itself, putting aside the demands of several segments of society, from the outside the bioethical community. Certainly, the internal community will have to rule the development and the work of Bioethics, but this community will not be able to stop hearing the “soun- ds and noises” coming from outside, among other reasons because Bioethics, by definition, is pluralist, reflexive-critical, deliberative and propositive. In addi- tion, ethics implies social commitment, and the deve- lopment of Bioethics is done with the participation of all the protagonists, coming from all sectors of society. The critical analysis of scientific production, always necessary in any area of knowledge, is assigned a great relevance as regards Bioethics, before the current phase of its evolution. One of the indicators one may resort to, in this analysis, is bibliometry. Recent publications are emphasizing its importance, considering it an area
