Participação dos técnicos administrativos nas pesquisas científicas do Instituto Federal da Paraíba: estudo de caso no campus João Pessoa

Abstract

The Federal Institutes, created through Law No. 11,892/2008, are based on the verticalization of education, offering higher, basic, and vocational education. Among their objectives is the promotion and encouragement of applied research, aimed at addressing social or institutional demands through technical and/or technological solutions. Despite this purpose being established, recently the technical-administrative staff (TAEs) of the Federal Institute of Paraíba were prohibited from participating in institutional research, which sparked our interest in conducting this study. The study aimed to analyze the contributions of TAEs in institutional research at IFPB Campus João Pessoa, focusing on the period before the restriction was imposed on them. The research followed a qualitative approach, specifically a case study of exploratory nature, with data analyzed through content analysis. Following a literature review and data collection from IFPB's website and Lattes platform, a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to a group of TAEs who had conducted institutional research during the defined period (2014-2020). This aimed to identify their profiles, assess their contributions, examine their roles in these research projects, and explore the challenges they faced in their development. As an outcome, we developed a best practices manual regarding TAE participation in institutional research at IFPB. The manual seeks to stimulate debate and discussion on the importance of TAE involvement in institutional research, highlighting their contributions and significance in their work environments and in the field of applied research. This study revealed that there are TAE researchers available and interested in participating in institutional research, yet they are not recognized by the institution, what leads to the invisibility and devaluation of these public servants in the development of their activities, including research, which marginalizes them from certain rights and diminishes their importance and potential contributions to the institution.