Ethical Oversight of Research

Studies involving human participants, clinical information, biological samples, or animals must comply with applicable legislation, institutional requirements, and relevant international ethical principles.

Research involving human participants

The manuscript must identify the ethics committee, institution, and approval number or code. When a study has been exempted or waived from review, the authority granting the exemption must be identified.

Authors must report the informed-consent procedure or the corresponding waiver. Publication of case reports, images, or potentially identifiable information requires specific consent for publication and appropriate protection of identity.

Animal research

Animal studies must receive approval from the competent committee and describe the measures taken to minimize suffering and unnecessary animal use. When applicable, reports must follow the current ARRIVE guidelines.

Clinical trials

Clinical trials must be prospectively registered, before enrolment of the first participant, in a public registry recognized by the World Health Organization or accepted by the ICMJE.

The registry name and registration number must be included in the manuscript. Reports must follow the current version of CONSORT and disclose relevant changes from the protocol or registration.

The journal may request certificates, protocols, consent forms, or other documentation to verify ethical compliance. These documents will be treated confidentially.