Conflict of Interest
All authors must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest, whether financial or non-financial, that may affect the integrity or interpretation of the research. This includes financial relationships, affiliations, advisory roles, or intellectual property rights.
Authors should include a statement in the manuscript if no conflicts exist: “The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
This policy aligns with the ICMR, ICMJE, and COPE recommendations
Ethical approval for human studies.
All studies involving human participants must comply with the ICMR National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research Involving Human Participants (2017).
Manuscripts must clearly include:
– The name of the Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC).
– The approval number and date.
– A statement confirming that written informed consent was obtained from all participants.
Example: “This study was approved by the IEC of [Institution Name], in accordance with ICMR guidelines (Approval No: XXX).”
IEC Waiver: If ethical approval was waived, authors must:
– Clearly state the waiver in the manuscript.
– Justify the reason for waiver (e.g., retrospective chart review, use of anonymized data (details of how anonymized achieved)).
– Provide the waiver reference letter or documentation from the IEC.
Example: “This retrospective study was conducted using de-identified data. The IEC of [Institution Name] granted a waiver of ethical approval (Waiver Ref. No: XXX/Year)”.
Animal research ethics
For research involving animals, compliance with the CPCSEA guidelines of the Government of India is mandatory.
Authors must include:
– The name of the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC).
– The approval number and date.
– A statement confirming that animal welfare protocols were followed.
Example: “Animal experiments were approved by the IAEC of [Institution], in accordance with CPCSEA guidelines (Approval No: XXX).”
Informed Consent and Participant Privacy
Authors must confirm that:
– Written informed consent was obtained from all human participants.
– For case reports or identifiable patient information, a signed Consent for Publication was obtained.
– Patient confidentiality has been preserved in accordance with ethical standards.
Example: “Written informed consent for participation and publication was obtained from the patient.”