01

Policy

The journal follows the COPE Core Practice on ethical oversight. Authors are responsible for conducting and reporting their research in line with the ethical standards of their institution, their country, and their discipline.

02

Research with people or animals

—  Research involving humans or animals needs approval from an ethics committee. Give the name of the committee in the Ethics Approval statement and, where there is one, the approval number.

—  Human participants must have given informed consent. State how it was obtained.

—  If approval was not required, say why.

—  Where relevant, the Method section states the ethical, safety, and biosafety measures that were taken.

—  Protect the privacy and confidentiality of participants. Do not publish names, images, recordings, or details that could identify a person without that person’s consent for publication.

03

Where it is reported

The Ethics Approval statement is part of the end matter of every manuscript. Write “None” where it does not apply. See the Author Guidelines.

04

Checks

The editors may ask for the approval details or the consent information, and may ask the institution or ask for expert advice if they doubt that the research was ethical. A published article can be corrected, given an expression of concern, or retracted if serious ethical problems are found. See Correction, Retraction and Withdrawal.

05

Related

Author Guidelines  ·  Research Data Policy  ·  Research Misconduct  ·  Permissions

06

Sources

This policy is based on the guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE):