Ethics and Consent

Last Updated: April 2026
This policy is part of the Editorial Policies.

We uphold the highest standards of integrity by strictly defining permissible research practices and prohibited conduct to protect the scientific record. For a detailed breakdown of the institutional roles and responsibilities governing our editorial process, please refer to our Publication Ethics policy. The following sections will guide you through the ethical boundaries and consent requirements mandatory for all submissions.

Human Research Ethics

All research involving human subjects must be conducted under the highest ethical standards, strictly adhering to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki, the Belmont Report, and ICH-GCP guidelines. It is the fundamental responsibility of the researchers to ensure that all participants are fully informed of the nature and purpose of the study, providing their voluntary and informed consent prior to participation.

Privacy and confidentiality must be maintained in accordance with applicable data protection laws, ensuring that personal data is utilized strictly for research purposes. Furthermore, every research protocol must undergo a comprehensive risk assessment and receive mandatory formal approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or a recognized Ethics Committee before the commencement of the study. 

For clinical trials, authors are additionally required to comply with clinical trial registration policies and follow standardized reporting guidelines such as CONSORT or the APA Code of Ethics. Berikut adalah beberapa rujukan guideline yang dapat digunakan:

• HELSINKI
• ICH-GCP
• CONSORT
• BELMONT
• APA CODE

You can also check our policy regarding Clinical Trial Registration

Animal Research Policy

Regarding the use of animals in research, we are fully committed to the 3Rs Principle: Reduction (minimizing the number of animals used), Refinement (minimizing pain and distress), and Replacement (utilizing alternative methods wherever scientifically possible).

Authors must demonstrate strict ethical compliance with international standards, including the NIH: Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, and possess all necessary local regulatory permits. Any procedures deemed inhumane or lacking a robust scientific justification will result in the immediate rejection of the manuscript.

Scholarly Misconduct and Data Integrity

We maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward all forms of scholarly misconduct, particularly the fabrication or falsification of data. All submitted research must be authentic and replicable, supported by transparent data collection methods and valid analytical techniques. 

Additionally, any form of citation manipulation, including excessive self-citation, the inclusion of irrelevant or altered references, or the concealment of competing interests, is strictly prohibited. Academic integrity serves as the foundation of our publications, and any indication of fraudulent activity will be addressed with the utmost gravity.

Plagiarism and Attribution Standards

To uphold the originality of the scholarly record, all manuscripts are rigorously screened using Turnitin. We require an overall similarity index of less than 15%, with the additional constraint that no individual source may contribute more than 1% of the content.

Authors are obligated to provide proper attribution for all ideas or works that are not their own, secure necessary reuse permissions for third-party materials, and provide a certification of originality. The practice of paraphrasing without adequate sourcing is prohibited, and authors must ensure that fair credit is given to all relevant contributors through standardized citation practices.

Responsible Communication and Discourse

The integrity of academic discourse is further protected through a strict policy against defamation and libel. Manuscripts must not contain defamatory statements, personal attacks, or inflammatory language directed at individuals or organizations. Authors bear the responsibility of verifying all claims with credible evidence. Simultaneously, we uphold the protection of peer reviewer anonymity to ensure the review process remains objective, rigorous, and free from external interference or retaliation.

Ethical Investigation and Sanctions

Any allegations of misconduct or ethical breaches identified post-submission or post-publication will be investigated following established procedures aligned with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). If an investigation confirms a significant ethical violation, the journal will take corrective action, which may include formal corrections, expressions of concern, or the retraction of the work. Furthermore, we reserve the right to notify relevant institutional authorities and professional bodies regarding confirmed cases of misconduct to maintain the purity of the global scientific record.