  In this work we analyze systems described by Lagrangians with higher order
derivatives in the context of the Hamilton-Jacobi formalism for first order
actions. Two different approaches are studied here: the first one is analogous
to the description of theories with higher derivatives in the hamiltonian
formalism according to [Sov. Phys. Journ. 26 (1983) 730; the second treats the
case where degenerate coordinate are present, in an analogy to reference [Nucl.
Phys. B 630 (2002) 509]. Several examples are analyzed where a comparison
between both approaches is made.
