Human Research Ethics Policy

Scope

This policy applies to all research involving human participants, tissues, identifiable data, or secondary use of human-derived materials.

Ethical Principles

Research must follow international ethical standards including respect for persons, beneficence, and justice.

Ethics Approval

Studies must receive prior approval from an ethics committee. Manuscripts must include approval body name and reference number or justification for exemption.

Informed Consent to Participate

Informed consent must be obtained from all participants or their legal representatives, with assent where appropriate.

Consent for Publication

Separate consent must be obtained for identifiable information. Masking alone is insufficient where identification is possible.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Participant data must be protected and anonymized where appropriate.

Clinical Trials

Trials must be registered prior to participant enrollment, with registration details included in the manuscript.

Secondary Use of Data

Use of existing data or specimens must comply with ethical and consent requirements.

Vulnerable Populations

Additional safeguards are required for vulnerable groups.

Manuscript Reporting Requirements

Submissions must include ethics approval, consent statements, and relevant compliance details.

Editorial Oversight

Editors may request ethics documentation and reject submissions lacking compliance.

Non-Compliance and Post-Publication Action

Ethical violations may lead to rejection, correction, retraction, or institutional notification.

Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed periodically.