- Research should respect the dignity and rights of human research participants as well as animal subjects. Research should also respect the rights of other tangible and intangible heritage, natural resources, and the environment.
- Harms can arise as a direct result of the conduct of research, for example: injury to human participants in the course of participating in a research project; unnecessary suffering of non-human animals as a result of experimentation; material compromise of tangible heritage; ecosystem disruption etc.
- Harms can also arise indirectly, as a result of the publication of a research project or a piece of scholarly communication, such as the stigmatization of a vulnerable human group or potential use of the results of research for unintended purposes.
- Research principle should be based on general frameworks for the ethical conduct of research across the sciences, for example: The World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki or the International Ethical Guidelines for Health-related Research Involving Humans.
- Non-maleficence and beneficence are two fundamental principles in research ethics requiring the maximization of benefits and minimization of potential harms. These principles form a core part of general frameworks for the ethical conduct of research across the sciences, for example: World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki and International Association of Veterinary Editors’ Consensus Author Guidelines on Animal Ethics and Welfare.
- Consideration of risks and benefits underlies the editorial process of all forms of scholarly communication in our publications. Editors consider harms that might result from a publication and may seek external guidance on such potential risks of harm as part of the editorial process. If in cases of substantial risk of harm outweighs any potential benefits, editors may decline the publication (or correct, retract, remove or otherwise amend already published content).
- Details policies regarding Protection of Human Subject and Animal in Research Policy should follow the details information in respective journal’s homepage.
