Protection of Research Participants
Statement on Human and Animal Rights
The Journal of Research in Agriculture and Food Sciences (JRAFS) is committed to ensuring that research involving humans, animals, and other biological materials is conducted and reported in accordance with recognized ethical principles, applicable laws and regulations, and institutional requirements.
Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research has received all required ethical approvals and permissions before the study is conducted and that the manuscript accurately reports compliance with applicable ethical standards.
JRAFS follows relevant ethical principles and guidance, including the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Recommendations and internationally recognized standards for the ethical conduct and reporting of research involving human participants and animals.
1. Research Involving Human Participants
Research involving human participants must be conducted in accordance with:
Applicable national and international laws and regulations;
Institutional ethical requirements;
The ethical standards of the relevant research ethics committee or institutional review board (IRB); and
The principles of the Declaration of Helsinki, in its current applicable version.
Where ethical review is required, authors must obtain approval from the appropriate ethics committee or institutional review board before commencing the research.
The manuscript must include an Ethics Approval Statement identifying:
The name of the ethics committee or institutional review board;
The institution responsible for the ethical review;
The approval or reference number, where applicable; and
The date of approval, where applicable.
If a study did not require formal ethical approval, authors must clearly explain why approval was not required and identify the institutional, national, or regulatory basis for that determination.
The journal may request documentary evidence of ethical approval where necessary.
2. Informed Consent
For research involving human participants, authors must obtain appropriate informed consent in accordance with applicable ethical and legal requirements.
Participants should be adequately informed about:
The purpose and nature of the research;
The procedures involved;
Potential risks and benefits;
The use of their data or biological materials; and
Their rights regarding participation and withdrawal, where applicable.
Where required, informed consent must be documented appropriately.
For participants who are unable to provide informed consent, such as children or individuals lacking legal capacity, consent must be obtained from an appropriately authorized parent, guardian, or legal representative in accordance with applicable ethical and legal requirements.
The manuscript should include an appropriate statement confirming that informed consent was obtained when required.
3. Privacy and Confidentiality
JRAFS respects the right of research participants to privacy and confidentiality.
Authors must take reasonable measures to protect personally identifiable information and must not publish identifying information unless it is scientifically necessary and appropriate consent has been obtained.
Identifying information may include, but is not limited to:
Names or initials;
Addresses or contact information;
Hospital or medical record numbers;
Facial images;
Photographs;
Genetic or genomic information;
Detailed clinical information; and
Other information that could reasonably allow an individual to be identified.
Authors should use appropriate anonymization or de-identification procedures whenever possible.
Authors should be aware that removing names or masking limited portions of photographs may not be sufficient to guarantee anonymity.
4. Consent for Publication of Identifiable Information
When a manuscript contains identifiable information, photographs, videos, clinical details, case descriptions, or other material through which an individual may reasonably be identified, authors must obtain appropriate consent for publication in accordance with applicable ethical and legal requirements.
Consent for publication is distinct from consent to participate in research.
Where appropriate, the participant or legally authorized representative should have the opportunity to review the material intended for publication and understand that the information may become publicly accessible through online and print dissemination.
Authors should retain appropriate documentation of consent and should provide evidence to the journal if requested.
Consent documentation should not normally be submitted with the manuscript unless specifically requested by the journal, in order to protect participant privacy.
5. Research Involving Vulnerable Populations
Research involving vulnerable populations requires particular attention to ethical safeguards.
Authors must comply with applicable ethical requirements when conducting research involving, for example:
Children or minors;
Individuals lacking decision-making capacity;
Prisoners or institutionalized populations;
Economically or socially vulnerable populations; or
Other groups requiring additional ethical protection.
The manuscript should clearly describe the relevant ethical safeguards and consent procedures where applicable.
6. Research Involving Animals
JRAFS requires authors reporting research involving animals to ensure that the study was conducted in accordance with applicable:
Institutional requirements;
National laws and regulations;
Animal welfare standards;
Ethical guidelines; and
Professional standards governing the care and use of animals in research.
Authors must take appropriate measures to minimize animal suffering, distress, pain, and unnecessary use of animals.
Where applicable, authors should follow recognized principles of the 3Rs: Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement.
The manuscript must include an Animal Ethics Statement identifying:
The relevant institutional or national ethics committee or animal welfare body;
The institution responsible for ethical approval;
The approval or permit number, where applicable; and
The date of approval, where applicable.
Authors should also provide sufficient information about animal welfare procedures, including relevant measures used to minimize pain, distress, or suffering.
Where euthanasia was performed, authors should describe the method and provide appropriate justification in accordance with applicable ethical and welfare standards.
7. Veterinary and Agricultural Research Involving Animals
Because JRAFS publishes research in agriculture, food sciences, veterinary, and related fields, animal research may involve laboratory animals, livestock, poultry, wildlife, companion animals, aquatic animals, or other species.
Authors must comply with the ethical and welfare requirements applicable to the species, study design, and jurisdiction in which the research was conducted.
Where animals are privately owned or are involved in clinical or field studies, authors should obtain appropriate owner consent and comply with applicable veterinary and animal-welfare requirements.
For wildlife research, authors must obtain all required collection, handling, transport, conservation, and other relevant permits.
8. Field Studies and Research Conducted Outside the Authors' Institution or Country
Research conducted in the field, in another country, or at an institution different from that of the authors must comply with the applicable ethical, legal, environmental, and regulatory requirements of the location where the research was conducted.
Authors are responsible for obtaining all required permits, permissions, ethical approvals, and authorizations.
Research involving wildlife, protected species, endangered species, natural habitats, genetic resources, or biological materials must comply with applicable conservation and access regulations.
9. Biological Materials and Human Samples
Research involving human tissues, cells, blood, genetic material, or other biological samples must comply with applicable ethical and legal requirements.
Authors must ensure that:
Appropriate ethical approval has been obtained where required;
Appropriate consent has been obtained where required;
Participant confidentiality is protected; and
The collection, storage, use, transfer, and sharing of biological materials comply with applicable regulations and permissions.
Where samples were obtained from a biobank or another source, authors should provide relevant information concerning the ethical approval and consent framework governing their use, where applicable.
10. Studies Not Requiring Ethical Approval
Not all studies involving humans or animals necessarily require formal ethics committee approval.
Examples may include certain types of research involving publicly available, fully anonymized datasets or other activities that are formally exempt under applicable regulations.
In such cases, authors must clearly state that formal ethical approval was not required and provide the basis for this determination.
The journal reserves the right to request clarification or documentary evidence supporting an exemption.
Authors must not state that ethical approval was unnecessary solely for convenience or because formal review was not sought.
11. Ethical Statements in Manuscripts
Manuscripts involving human participants, animals, or other regulated research activities must include an appropriate ethics statement in the Materials and Methods section.
Depending on the study, the statement should identify:
The relevant ethics committee, IRB, or animal ethics committee;
The approving institution;
The approval or reference number;
The date of approval, where applicable;
Informed-consent procedures, where applicable;
Consent for publication of identifiable information, where applicable; and
Any applicable ethical or regulatory exemption and its justification.
A manuscript may be returned to the authors for clarification if the required ethical information is missing or inadequate.
12. Verification of Ethical Compliance
JRAFS may request supporting documentation relating to ethical approval, informed consent, animal welfare, permits, or other regulatory requirements at any stage of the editorial or publication process.
Authors must cooperate with reasonable requests for verification.
If the journal determines that required ethical approval or authorization was not obtained, or that the reported research does not comply with applicable ethical standards, the manuscript may be rejected.
If serious ethical concerns are identified after publication, JRAFS may investigate the matter and take appropriate corrective action, which may include publication of a correction, expression of concern, or retraction.
13. Ethical Concerns After Publication
If credible concerns are raised after publication regarding the ethical conduct of research involving human participants, animals, or biological materials, JRAFS will assess the matter in accordance with its publication ethics and research-integrity procedures.
Where appropriate, the journal may:
Request clarification or documentation from the authors;
Contact the relevant ethics committee or institution;
Request an institutional investigation;
Publish a correction or clarification;
Publish an expression of concern; or
Retract the article when the ethical breach substantially affects the reliability or legitimacy of the published research.
14. Editorial Assessment
The journal's editors may evaluate the ethical aspects of submitted research independently of the scientific peer review.
Ethical approval does not guarantee manuscript acceptance. Research must also satisfy the journal's requirements concerning scientific quality, methodology, originality, research integrity, and publication ethics.
Likewise, the absence of a requirement for formal ethical approval does not exempt authors from conducting research responsibly and complying with applicable ethical and legal standards.
15. Commitment to Human and Animal Welfare
JRAFS is committed to protecting the rights, dignity, privacy, safety, and welfare of human research participants and to promoting the humane and responsible treatment of animals used in research.
The journal expects authors to demonstrate appropriate ethical consideration throughout the research process and to report their compliance transparently.
JRAFS will take appropriate action when credible evidence indicates that research involving humans, animals, or biological materials has not been conducted or reported in accordance with applicable ethical standards.
