Policies on conflict of interest, Human and animal rights, and Informed consent

Definition

A Conflict of Interest refers to situations in which the professional judgment of researchers, Institutional Review Board (IRB) members, administrators, or other stakeholders may be influenced, or may reasonably appear to be influenced, by secondary interests.

Significant Financial Conflict

A significant financial conflict may exist when researchers or relevant IRB stakeholders have substantial financial interests connected to the research, including:

• Financial benefits that may arise from patents or intellectual property if research findings are commercialized.
• Serving as a director, executive, or officer of a pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or related company.
• Significant remuneration or equity interests in publicly traded entities.
• Significant remuneration, shares, stock options, or other equity interests in privately held entities.
• Financial interests held by immediate family members that may reasonably affect the research.

Disclosure Requirements

The corresponding author is responsible for informing the Editor of any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest that could affect the research or interpretation of the findings.

Potential conflicts should be disclosed in the cover letter and, where applicable, in the manuscript.

Examples may include:

• Financial support from commercial organizations.
• Personal or professional relationships with pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies.
• Political or institutional pressure from interest groups.
• Academic or professional disputes.
• Patents, intellectual property, consultancy, employment, or other financial interests related to the research.

Authors should use the ICMJE Uniform Disclosure Form for Potential Conflicts of Interest where applicable.

All sources of funding supporting the research must also be clearly stated.

The Editor will determine whether disclosed conflicts should be included in the published article. Authors are expected to disclose relevant conflicts before the manuscript enters the review process.

Conflict of Interest Review

A Conflict of Interest Review Board (COIRB) may be established or consulted to review reported conflicts involving individuals or organizations. The board may assess whether a significant conflict exists and recommend appropriate measures for managing the conflict.

Research Involving Human Participants

All research involving human participants or human data must comply with applicable ethical standards and, where required, receive approval from an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) or ethics committee before the research begins.

Research involving human subjects should follow internationally recognized ethical principles, including the Declaration of Helsinki .

Authors may be required to provide evidence of IRB or ethics committee approval.

The journal reserves the right to reject a manuscript if the research does not meet appropriate ethical standards, even where formal approval has been obtained.

Human Participant Protection

Participants must receive appropriate information about:

• The purpose of the research.
• Research procedures.
• Potential risks and benefits.
• Their rights as participants.
• The voluntary nature of participation.

Appropriate informed consent must be obtained before participation, unless an IRB or ethics committee has approved an alternative procedure or waiver.

Verbal or Waived Consent

Where consent is obtained verbally rather than in writing, the manuscript must clearly explain why written consent was not obtained, how consent was obtained, and whether the procedure was approved by the relevant IRB or ethics committee.

If informed consent was waived or could not reasonably be obtained, the authors must provide an appropriate explanation and confirm that the waiver was approved by the responsible ethics committee.

Privacy and Anonymity

Authors must protect the privacy and confidentiality of research participants.

Identifying information, including names, personal information, photographs, or other identifying materials, should not be published unless appropriate written consent for publication has been obtained.

For clinical studies and case reports involving human participants, authors should clearly state whether informed consent was obtained.

The Editor may request copies of informed consent forms or IRB/ethics committee approval documents where necessary.

Animal Research

Research involving vertebrate animals or cephalopods must receive approval from an appropriate Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or equivalent ethics committee before the research begins.

Animal research must comply with applicable national and international ethical guidelines and animal welfare requirements.

Where research involves pathogens requiring enhanced biosafety measures, appropriate review and approval by an Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) or equivalent body may also be required. Details of such approval should be reported in the Methods section.

The journal follows relevant principles and guidance established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to address instances of research and publication misconduct. Visit COPE .

General Requirement

Participants must receive sufficient information about the research before deciding whether to participate.

This information should normally include:

• The purpose and objectives of the study.
• Research procedures.
• Potential risks and benefits.
• The voluntary nature of participation.
• The participant's right to withdraw where applicable.
• How personal information and research data will be handled.

Participants should provide informed consent before participating in research unless an appropriate ethics committee has approved an alternative arrangement or waiver.

Consent Documentation

Authors may be required to provide a sample or copy of the participant consent form for editorial or ethical review.

The consent process must comply with applicable ethical and institutional requirements.

Verbal Consent

If verbal consent is used instead of written consent, authors must explain the reason in the manuscript and confirm that the procedure was reviewed and approved by the relevant IRB or ethics committee.

If consent could not be obtained, the authors must provide a clear explanation and demonstrate that the responsible ethics committee approved the circumstances.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Authors must protect participant privacy and anonymity throughout the research and publication process.

The journal encourages authors to follow internationally recognized principles concerning privacy and confidentiality, including relevant guidance from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

Identifying information should not be published unless the participant has provided appropriate consent for publication.

Editorial Review

The Editor may request documentation relating to informed consent, IRB approval, ethics committee approval, or other ethical requirements at any stage of the editorial process.

Failure to provide appropriate documentation may result in rejection, withdrawal, correction, or other editorial action in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies.