Ethical Approval for Human Subject Research
Authors conducting research with human subjects or samples must include an Ethics Approval statement in their manuscript's Declarations section. This statement should confirm that:
- The study received approval from an institutional ethics committee.
- The research adhered to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki, an internationally recognized ethical framework for human research.
- The researchers followed the approved research protocol and maintained acceptable research standards throughout the study.
Informed Consent
Human Subjects: For studies involving human participants, written informed consent must be obtained. Authors should include a statement confirming they received and archived written consent forms. These forms should be available for review upon request.
Publication: For studies involving potentially identifiable information (e.g., images or videos of participants), written consent for publication is required. Authors should include a statement confirming they received and archived written consent forms for publication. These forms should also be available for review upon request.
Ethical Approval for Animal Research
Studies involving animals must be approved by an institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) and conducted according to the approved protocol and established ethical standards for animal research. Authors should include an "Ethical Approval for Animal Research" statement at the end of their manuscripts, specifying the IACUC that approved the study.
