This policy establishes the ethical requirements for research involving human participants and animals submitted to IJMSDH. It aims to protect research participants, promote responsible scientific conduct, and ensure that published research complies with internationally accepted ethical and editorial standards.

The objectives of this policy are to:

• Promote ethical research involving human participants and animals.
• Protect the rights, dignity, safety, and welfare of research participants.
• Ensure compliance with institutional and national ethical requirements.
• Support transparency and accountability in scientific research.
• Maintain public confidence in published medical and health research.
• Preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Research involving human participants must be conducted in accordance with internationally accepted ethical principles and applicable national or institutional regulations. Authors are expected to ensure that the rights, privacy, dignity, and well-being of all participants are fully respected throughout the research process.

Where applicable, research should be conducted in accordance with recognized ethical principles such as the Declaration of Helsinki and other relevant ethical guidance governing biomedical and clinical research involving human participants.

Manuscripts involving human participants should clearly indicate:

• That appropriate ethical approval was obtained before commencing the study.
• That informed consent was obtained where required.
• That participant confidentiality and privacy were protected.
• That the research complied with applicable ethical and legal requirements.

The Editorial Office may request additional ethical documentation where clarification is required during the editorial or peer review process.

Studies involving human participants should receive prior approval from an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB), Independent Ethics Committee (IEC), or other recognized ethics committee, where required by applicable regulations.

Authors should report, where applicable:

• The name of the approving ethics committee or review board.
• The approval or reference number.
• The date of ethical approval where available.
• A statement confirming that ethical approval was obtained before participant recruitment.

Where ethical approval was not required under applicable regulations, authors should provide a clear explanation within the manuscript. The Editorial Office reserves the right to request additional information or supporting documentation to verify compliance with ethical requirements.

Authors must ensure that informed consent has been obtained from all participants before their inclusion in research, where required by applicable ethical standards and regulations. Participation should be voluntary, and individuals should be provided with sufficient information regarding the purpose, procedures, potential risks, and benefits of the study.

Where applicable, manuscripts should confirm that:

• Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.
• Consent was obtained from parents or legal guardians for minors or individuals unable to provide consent.
• Participants were informed of their right to withdraw from the study without penalty.
• Consent covered the publication of identifiable information or images where applicable.

Where informed consent was waived by an approved Ethics Committee or Institutional Review Board, authors should clearly state the reason for the waiver within the manuscript.

The journal is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of research participants. Authors must ensure that published manuscripts do not contain information that could directly or indirectly identify individual participants unless explicit written consent for publication has been obtained.

Authors should:

• Remove or anonymize personal identifiers whenever possible.
• Protect confidential medical and personal information.
• Obtain written permission before publishing identifiable photographs or clinical images.
• Comply with applicable privacy and data protection regulations.

The Editorial Office may request confirmation that appropriate consent has been obtained before publication of potentially identifiable material.

Prospective clinical trials should be registered in a publicly accessible clinical trial registry before the enrollment of the first participant whenever registration is required by applicable regulations, funding agencies, or internationally recognized editorial standards.

Authors are encouraged to provide:

• The name of the clinical trial registry.
• The registration number or identifier.
• The registration date.
• Any additional registration information required by the registry.

Failure to register a clinical trial where registration is expected may influence the editorial assessment of the manuscript.

Research involving animals must be conducted responsibly and in accordance with applicable national legislation, institutional requirements, and internationally recognized standards for animal welfare. Authors should ensure that animal studies are scientifically justified and designed to minimize pain, suffering, and unnecessary use of animals.

Authors should report:

• The name of the approving Animal Ethics Committee where applicable.
• The approval or protocol number.
• The ethical standards followed during the study.
• Measures taken to minimize animal suffering.

The Editorial Office reserves the right to request additional documentation relating to ethical approval for animal research whenever necessary.

IJMSDH supports internationally recognized principles of humane animal care and responsible scientific research. Authors are encouraged to apply the principles of the 3Rs throughout the design and conduct of animal studies:

• Replacement – use alternative methods whenever scientifically appropriate.
• Reduction – use the minimum number of animals necessary to achieve valid scientific results.
• Refinement – minimize pain, distress, and improve animal welfare throughout the study.

Animal experiments should be scientifically justified, ethically reviewed, and conducted by appropriately qualified personnel using accepted standards of animal care and welfare.

Research involving vulnerable individuals or populations requires additional ethical safeguards. Authors must ensure that such research is scientifically justified, ethically reviewed, and conducted with special consideration for the rights, dignity, safety, and welfare of participants.

Vulnerable populations may include:

• Children and adolescents.
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
• Elderly individuals.
• Persons with cognitive impairment or reduced decision-making capacity.
• Prisoners or individuals under institutional care.
• Economically or socially disadvantaged populations.

Authors should clearly describe the additional ethical safeguards implemented to protect vulnerable participants and confirm that all applicable ethical requirements were fulfilled.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all research submitted to IJMSDH complies with applicable ethical standards throughout the planning, conduct, analysis, and reporting of the study.

Authors are expected to:

• Obtain all required ethical approvals before commencing the research.
• Obtain informed consent where applicable.
• Protect participant privacy and confidentiality.
• Accurately report ethical approval information within the manuscript.
• Maintain original ethics documentation and provide it upon editorial request.
• Comply with institutional, national, and international ethical requirements.

Failure to comply with ethical requirements may result in editorial actions, including manuscript rejection, correction, retraction, or other actions consistent with the journal's publication ethics policies.

During editorial assessment and peer review, the Editorial Office may evaluate whether submitted manuscripts adequately comply with ethical requirements relating to human participants, animal research, informed consent, clinical trial registration, and institutional ethics approval.

Where appropriate, the Editorial Office may request:

• Copies of Ethics Committee or IRB approval documents.
• Clarification regarding informed consent procedures.
• Clinical trial registration information.
• Additional supporting documentation relating to ethical compliance.
• Independent expert advice where ethical concerns arise.

Editorial decisions are based on scientific merit, ethical compliance, and the integrity of the scholarly record.

IJMSDH is committed to promoting responsible research involving human participants and animals through transparent editorial practices and internationally accepted ethical standards. The journal encourages ethical research conduct that protects participants, supports scientific integrity, and contributes to trustworthy scholarly communication.

The journal considers internationally recognized ethical principles and best practices, including the Declaration of Helsinki, ICMJE Recommendations, COPE guidance, and recognized animal welfare standards, when evaluating manuscripts involving human or animal research.

The journal is committed to:

• Protecting the rights and welfare of research participants.
• Promoting responsible and humane animal research.
• Maintaining transparency throughout the editorial process.
• Supporting ethical scientific research and publication.
• Preserving the integrity of the scholarly record.

Questions regarding this Human & Animal Research Ethics Policy, ethical approval requirements, informed consent, or animal welfare standards may be directed to the Editorial Office through the official contact information available on the journal website. All enquiries will be handled in accordance with the journal's editorial policies and publication ethics standards.

This Human & Animal Research Ethics Policy may be reviewed and updated periodically to reflect developments in biomedical research ethics, publication standards, regulatory requirements, and internationally recognized best practices. Authors, reviewers, editors, and readers are encouraged to consult the most recent version of this policy available on the journal website.