Conflict of interest, human and animal rights, and informed consent

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST/ COMPETING INTERESTS

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose all potential conflicts of interest.

  • Authors: Must declare funding sources, sponsorships, and personal/professional relationships that could bias the work.

  • Reviewers: Must decline assignments where conflicts exist.

  • Editors: Recuse themselves from decisions where conflicts are present.

Conflicts may include financial interests, personal relationships, institutional affiliations, or competing research.

Authorship & Contributions Policy

JAHM follows the ICMJE criteria for authorship:

  1. Substantial contribution to study conception/design, data collection, or analysis.

  2. Drafting or critically revising the manuscript.

  3. Final approval of the version to be published.

  4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

  • Contributors not meeting authorship criteria should be acknowledged.

  • Ghostwriting and guest authorship are strictly prohibited.

  • Author contribution statements (CRediT taxonomy) must be included.

HUMAN AND ANIMAL RIGHTS

  1. Human Rights
  • Ethics Approval: All research involving human participants must receive prior approval from an ethics committee or Institutional Review Board (IRB).
  • Informed Consent: Participants must give voluntary, informed consent, understanding the risks, benefits, and purpose of the research.
  • Protection of Privacy: Researchers must ensure confidentiality and protect the privacy of participants.
  • Clinical trials must be registered in recognized registries (e.g., CTRI, ClinicalTrials.gov).
  1. Animal Rights
  • Ethics Approval: Research involving animals must be approved by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or similar body.
  • Animal research must comply with CPCSEA or equivalent guidelines.
  • Humane Treatment: Animals must be treated ethically, minimizing pain and distress, and using alternatives to animal testing whenever possible.
  • Compliance with Guidelines: Research should follow international guidelines like the Animal Welfare Act or the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement).
  1. Journal Oversight
  • Ethics Statements: Manuscripts must include statements confirming ethics approval for both human and animal studies.
  • Editorial Review: Editors ensure that studies meet ethical standards and may reject papers that lack proper ethical compliance.

INFORMED CONSENT

  • Consent Requirement: Studies involving humans must obtain informed consent and ethics board approval.
  • Disclosure: Researchers must explain the study’s purpose, risks, and confidentiality measures clearly.
  • Documentation: Written consent is required; special safeguards apply for vulnerable populations.
  • Publication Consent: Explicit consent is needed for publishing identifiable information.
  • Journal Oversight: Editors ensure manuscripts include proper ethical and consent documentation.