Research Ethics Policy

Authors must ensure that their research is well-justified, meticulously planned, and appropriately designed to effectively address the research question at hand. Statistical considerations, including power calculations, should be factored into the study design at an early stage to prevent the undertaking of futile studies that may pose risks to participants without yielding sufficient data to answer the research question. Defining the study's outcomes should be a primary step in the research process.

The research itself should adhere to rigorous standards of quality control and data analysis. Data and records must be diligently maintained and made available for review upon request. Any form of scientific misconduct, such as fabrication, falsification, concealment, deceptive reporting, or misrepresentation of data, is strictly prohibited.

In the Materials and Methods section of the manuscript, authors are expected to provide a clear explanation of the methods employed, including details regarding randomization, blinding, the selection of specific statistical tests, and explanations for any dropouts, exclusions, or confounding variables.

For studies involving human subjects, medical records, and human tissues, approval from the appropriate review board (Institutional Review Board or Ethics committee) is mandatory. In cases where formal ethics review committee access is unavailable, authors should adhere to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. If a study is considered exempt from review, this should be explicitly stated in writing within the manuscript. Informed consent from study participants is always a requisite. In situations where obtaining informed consent is not possible, an institutional review board must assess whether the study is ethically acceptable, and this determination should be documented in the manuscript. These policies related to human research ethics should be detailed in the Materials and Methods section of the manuscript.

Regarding animal experiments, strict compliance with local, national, ethical, and regulatory principles and local licensing requirements is essential.