Ethical Policy

This policy outlines the requirements for ethical conduct and reporting for all submissions to the International Journal of Scientific Discoveries (IJSD). As a broad-scope journal covering natural sciences, engineering, technology, and health sciences, IJSD is committed to upholding the highest standards of research integrity across all disciplines.

 

1. Ethical Approval for Studies Involving Human Subjects, Animals, and the Environment

IJSD requires that all research involving human participants, human material (e.g., tissues, data), animals, or field studies must have been conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible institutional or national research committee and with the Declaration of Helsinki (as revised in 2013) where applicable.

 

1.1. Human Subjects Research

•       Mandatory Approval: Authors must confirm that all procedures were approved by the appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee. The manuscript must include a statement identifying the approving body and the relevant approval number.

•       Informed Consent: Authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained from all human participants.

 

1.2. Animal Research

•       Mandatory Approval: All animal experiments must comply with institutional, national, or international guidelines for the care and use of animals. Authors must state that the study was approved by the relevant institutional ethics committee or equivalent body.

•       Reporting Standards: Authors are strongly encouraged to adhere to the ARRIVE guidelines for the complete reporting of animal studies.

 

1.3. Environmental and Field Studies

•       Permits and Permissions: Authors conducting research in the natural environment must confirm that all necessary permits and permissions were obtained from the relevant authorities.

 

2. Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Registration (PRISMA)

For systematic reviews and meta-analyses, IJSD strongly encourages authors to register their protocol in a publicly accessible registry (e.g., PROSPERO) prior to commencing the review. Furthermore, authors must adhere to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement to ensure comprehensive and transparent reporting of their methodology and findings. Adherence to PRISMA, including the use of the PRISMA checklist and flow diagram, is a mandatory requirement for submission.

 

3. Conflict of Interest and Funding

Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including financial, personal, or other relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence their work. All sources of funding for the research must be explicitly stated in the manuscript.