All research needs to be performed as per the ethical framework drafted by the “Helsinki” and must be approved by the ethics committee. If there is any uncertainty regarding the work that was not conducted by suitable means or the work is not as per the ethical framework, editors have the authority to reject the manuscripts or ask the author to make suitable changes and apply again. Sometimes, if the editor has serious concerns about the ethics of the manuscript study, they can immediately reject the manuscript on ethical grounds.
In the Declaration of Helsinki, authors are asked to ensure that their published research associated with the human body, animals, or human data is in accordance with the “Declaration of Helsinki” and must have been accepted by the ethics committee. It is compulsory to mention the name of the ethics committee and reference number, if available, and include a statement confirming that all procedures comply with related laws in all manuscripts before submission. All manuscripts must adhere to related laws and follow institutional guidelines. If any study has been exempted from ethics committee approval, this must be stated in the manuscript with proper justification. If the editor deems it necessary, authors must provide evidence, information, and supporting documents. Failure to comply with the “Declaration of Helsinki” and ethics committee guidelines can result in immediate rejection of the manuscript, and the editor may contact the ethics committee for further information.
If the author fails to obtain approval from the ethics committee, the manuscript shall not proceed further for peer review and will be automatically rejected. However, the editor may decide how to proceed in such cases.
If the author wishes to include a new tool or procedure in their institution for advancing their work, they need to provide justification in the manuscript supporting the necessity of these new procedures and tools. The manuscript must clearly indicate why the new procedure or tools are better than those already in use. This requirement can be waived if the new procedures are already approved and authorized for clinical use at the author’s institution. Additionally, ethical committee approval and patient consent are mandatory for the use of new procedures and tools. These new procedures must comply with the laws set forth by the “Ethics Committee.”
Informed Consent
For any research related to humans, it is mandatory for the author to obtain written consent from the patient (or their parent or guardian in the case of children under 16 years of age) and ethical and legal approval (including details of the approving body). This consent must be included in the manuscript before applying for peer review, and the author must ensure that the manuscript contains ethics committee approval and informed consent.
Authors must avoid using patient details like images or videos that could compromise the patient’s privacy. If patient details or images must be published, the author must inform the patient of the reason for publication and obtain well-informed consent from the patient or the patient’s relatives. If the patient’s details used in the manuscript are unrecognizable and do not reveal the patient’s identity, patient consent is not mandatory. If the patient dies during the course of treatment, it becomes the author’s responsibility to obtain consent for publication from the relatives of the deceased patient.
It is entirely the author’s responsibility to include information and documentation (such as guidelines, the name of the approving committee, and the reference number) in the manuscript. If the study has received an exemption, it must also be stated in the manuscript, along with the name of the body that granted the exemption. The necessary documents related to approval and exemption must be made available to the editor upon request.
In cases where the study involves human organ transplantation, the author is responsible for including a statement in the manuscript declaring that organs or tissues were obtained from approved institutes and that no organs or tissues were obtained illegally.
After submission, the editor will thoroughly evaluate the study and also review any animal welfare issues. If the research does not comply with human and animal welfare rights or is lacking any of the above-mentioned criteria, the editor can reject the manuscript on ethical grounds and request additional information from the author and ethics committee.