Human and Animal Rights Policy
Human rights
- All research involving human participants must follow the current version of the Declaration of Helsinki.
- Participants' autonomy, privacy and dignity must be respected, including their right to withdraw.
- Research involving vulnerable groups, such as minors, people with cognitive impairment and the economically disadvantaged, needs additional safeguards and receives closer editorial scrutiny.
Animal rights
Research on animals must comply with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, where applicable, and with the national and institutional rules that applied where the work was done. The journal endorses the 3Rs:
- Replace: use non-animal alternatives wherever they are scientifically valid.
- Reduce: use the smallest number of animals that gives a statistically valid result.
- Refine: keep pain, distress and suffering to a minimum.
Documentation
What must be stated in the manuscript is set out in Ethical Approvals and Informed Consent.
Enforcement
Manuscripts that do not comply are returned for clarification, and may be rejected or retracted under the Misconduct and Sanctions policy.
