Ethics Approval
All research involving human participants, human materials, human data, animals, plants, or biological materials must be conducted in accordance with applicable institutional, national, and international ethical guidelines, including the Declaration of Helsinki and relevant standards issued by recognized ethics and research governance bodies.
Studies involving human participants, human data, human primary cells, or human tissue must receive prior approval from an appropriate institutional ethics committee or review board before the commencement of the research. Manuscripts must include a clear ethics statement specifying the name of the ethics committee, the date of approval, and the relevant approval or reference number.
If an exemption from ethical approval has been granted, this must also be clearly stated in the manuscript, including the name of the ethics committee or institutional authority granting the exemption and the justification where applicable.
Where ethical approval has not been obtained prior to the start of the study, the decision on whether the manuscript can proceed to peer review will be made at the discretion of the editor and editorial board.
Informed Consent
For studies involving identifiable individuals, including case reports, clinical images, or any personal data that may allow identification, authors must obtain informed consent from the participant or, where applicable, from a parent, legal guardian, or next of kin.
Consent for publication must be explicitly stated in the manuscript. Participants should be informed that identifiable information may be published in print and/or online. Written consent may be requested by the editorial office at any stage of the review or publication process.
In exceptional cases where consent cannot be obtained, publication may be considered if all identifying information has been fully removed and the potential public interest outweighs any associated risks. The final decision rests with the editor.
Research Involving Humans, Animals, and Biological Materials
Human Research
All studies involving human subjects, identifiable human data, human tissue, or primary human cells must comply with internationally recognized ethical standards, including the Declaration of Helsinki and guidelines issued by organizations such as the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Manuscripts must include statements confirming ethics approval and informed consent. Where applicable, details should include the approving ethics committee, approval date, and reference number. Editors may request additional documentation and may decline peer review if ethical compliance is not adequately demonstrated.
Animal Research
All research involving animals must comply with relevant institutional, national, and international guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals.
Manuscripts must include a statement identifying the approving ethics committee or institutional authority, along with confirmation that procedures were designed to minimize animal suffering. Authors are encouraged to follow established reporting standards such as ARRIVE guidelines.
The journal reserves the right to reject manuscripts if there are concerns regarding animal welfare or ethical compliance.
Cell Lines
Manuscripts reporting research involving cell lines must specify the origin and source of all cell lines used.
For established cell lines, authors should provide appropriate references or supplier information. For newly generated or previously unpublished cell lines, authors must confirm appropriate ethical approval and, where applicable, informed consent for human-derived materials.
Plant Research
Research involving plants must comply with relevant institutional, national, and international guidelines, including the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), where applicable.
Manuscripts should provide detailed information on plant materials, including origin, collection site, and relevant genetic or taxonomic details. For non-model or rare species, voucher specimens should be deposited in a recognized herbarium or equivalent repository whenever possible.
The requirement for voucher deposition may be waived in exceptional cases (e.g., endangered species), provided justification is included in a cover letter. The editorial office reserves the right to reject submissions that do not meet these requirements.
Clinical Trials Registration
All clinical trials must be prospectively registered in a publicly accessible clinical trial registry prior to or at the time of first participant enrolment.
The manuscript must include the trial registration number and registration date. Acceptable registries include ClinicalTrials.gov and registries recognized by the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP).
Randomized Controlled Trials
Randomized controlled trials should be reported in accordance with CONSORT guidelines or equivalent recognized reporting standards.
Authors are encouraged to ensure that all required reporting items are included to facilitate transparency, reproducibility, and critical appraisal.
Reporting Guidelines in Peer Review
Reporting guidelines provide structured frameworks to ensure research manuscripts include sufficient detail for understanding, replication, and evaluation.
Reviewers are encouraged to use appropriate reporting guidelines when assessing manuscripts. Failure to adhere to relevant reporting standards may affect the ability to properly evaluate study quality and may impact editorial decisions.