Research Ethics and Ethical Approval Policy

1. Applicability and Responsibility

Research involving human participants, animals, children or other vulnerable persons, sensitive personal information, or other ethically sensitive practices must follow applicable institutional, professional, national, and legal requirements. Authors are responsible for obtaining any approval, authorization, and consent required before the relevant study activities take place.

2. Research Involving Human Participants

Where formal ethics review or approval is required, the manuscript must report the name of the ethics committee, institutional review board, or competent approving body; the approval or reference number; and the year of approval. Authors must describe relevant recruitment, voluntariness, informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, and participant-protection measures as appropriate to the study.

3. Children and Other Vulnerable Participants

Studies involving children or other vulnerable participants require additional protection proportionate to the participant group and the study's risks. Where applicable, written informed consent must be obtained from parents, legal guardians, or another legally authorized representative; age-appropriate assent should be sought from children who are able to provide it. Refusal, distress, and withdrawal must be respected, and identifying visual or personal material must be protected.

4. Research Involving Animals

Animal research must comply with applicable animal-welfare and ethical requirements. Where ethics approval is required, authors must identify the authorized committee or approving body and provide the relevant approval or reference information and safeguards.

5. Low- or Negligible-Risk Research

Where formal approval is not legally or institutionally required, authors must provide an Ethical Compliance Statement when the study involves ethical considerations that require explanation. The statement should identify the applicable policy or authorized determination where relevant, explain why formal approval was not required, and describe safeguards such as voluntary participation, consent, privacy, confidentiality, and participant welfare.

Authors must not self-declare an exemption where the applicable institution or regulation requires an authorized ethics determination.

6. Ethical Documentation and Editorial Verification

Copies of ethics clearance letters are not automatically mandatory upload files for every initial submission. The Editorial Office may request supporting ethics approval, exemption or determination letters, consent documentation, permissions, or other information whenever necessary for editorial assessment or before acceptance. Confidential participant information should not be disclosed unnecessarily in response to such requests.

7. Research Conducted Without Required Prior Approval

Approval issued after completion of data collection does not normally substitute for required prospective approval. Where prior ethics review was required but apparently not obtained, the journal may suspend processing, request clarification, consult the responsible institution, or decline the manuscript after appropriate assessment.

8. Ethical Approval / Ethical Compliance Statement

Where applicable, each manuscript must include an accurate Ethical Approval or Ethical Compliance Statement consistent with the journal's Author Guidelines and official Article Template. Authors must not use a generic or inaccurate statement to represent requirements not actually met.