Ethical Oversight and Research Ethics

1. Introduction

The International Journal of Agricultural Sciences (IJASC) is committed to ensuring that all research submitted to and published in the journal is conducted and reported in accordance with recognized ethical standards, applicable legal requirements, and principles of responsible research conduct. Ethical oversight is an essential component of scholarly publishing because the integrity of research depends not only on the validity of scientific methods and findings but also on the protection of human participants, the welfare of animals, the responsible use of biological and environmental resources, and respect for the rights and interests of individuals, communities, institutions, and other stakeholders.

IJASC recognizes that agricultural research may involve a broad range of ethical considerations, including human participation in surveys and interviews, research involving farmers and rural communities, animal experimentation, field trials, plant and microbial materials, genetic resources, biotechnology, environmental sampling, indigenous and traditional knowledge, and the collection or use of personal, commercial, or institutionally confidential data. Such research must be designed, conducted, analyzed, and reported responsibly, with appropriate safeguards established before research activities commence.

This policy establishes the ethical requirements and responsibilities applicable to authors, editors, peer reviewers, journal staff, and other parties involved in the publication process. It addresses ethical review and approval, informed consent, the protection of vulnerable populations, animal welfare, environmental responsibility, data privacy and confidentiality, research permissions, and the handling of suspected ethical violations.

IJASC requires authors to comply with applicable institutional, national, and international ethical standards relevant to their research. Where independent ethics review is required, authors must obtain approval from an appropriate ethics committee or institutional review body before commencing the relevant research activities. Where a study is exempt from formal ethical review under applicable rules, authors must provide a clear explanation and, where available, evidence of the exemption or determination by the appropriate authority.

The journal also recognizes that ethical requirements differ across jurisdictions, research disciplines, and study designs. Accordingly, this policy should be applied in a manner that respects relevant legal and institutional frameworks while maintaining the journal's commitment to research integrity, participant protection, animal welfare, environmental responsibility, and transparency.

This policy is informed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices, particularly its guidance on ethical oversight, and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing. It is intended to ensure that ethical considerations are addressed throughout the research lifecycle and that published work provides sufficient information for readers to understand the ethical basis on which the research was conducted.

2. Description

2.1. Definition of Ethical Oversight

Ethical oversight refers to the processes, approvals, safeguards, and accountability mechanisms used to ensure that research is conducted in a manner that respects applicable ethical principles and protects the rights, welfare, safety, privacy, and legitimate interests of those affected by the research.

Ethical oversight may involve review and approval by an independent research ethics committee, institutional review board (IRB), animal ethics committee, biosafety committee, environmental authority, or other competent body, depending on the nature of the research and applicable requirements.

Ethical oversight also includes the responsibilities of researchers to obtain informed consent where required, protect confidential information, use biological and environmental resources responsibly, disclose relevant permissions, report research procedures accurately, and respond appropriately to ethical concerns.

2.2. Research Involving Human Participants

Research involving human participants includes studies in which individuals are recruited, observed, interviewed, surveyed, tested, or otherwise involved as research participants. In agricultural sciences, this may include research involving farmers, agricultural workers, rural households, consumers, food producers, extension officers, community members, or other individuals.

Examples include:

• Surveys concerning farming practices, agricultural livelihoods, or rural development.

• Interviews and focus-group discussions with farmers or community representatives.

• Studies of agricultural workers' health, occupational conditions, or safety practices.

• Behavioral, social, economic, or market research involving individuals.

• Sensory evaluations, consumer preference studies, or food-related studies involving human participants.

• Research involving identifiable personal information or biological samples obtained from individuals.

Such research must be conducted in accordance with applicable ethical requirements, including independent ethical review where required, informed consent, confidentiality, and measures to minimize foreseeable harm.

2.3. Informed Consent and Consent for Publication

Informed consent is a process through which individuals receive sufficient information about a research study to make a voluntary and informed decision about participation. Depending on the research design and applicable requirements, consent may need to address the purpose of the study, procedures, foreseeable risks and benefits, confidentiality, data use, withdrawal rights, and relevant contact information.

Consent to participate in research is distinct from consent to publish identifiable information. A participant's agreement to participate does not automatically authorize publication of their name, image, personal details, or other information that could reasonably identify them.

Where identifiable personal information is essential to a manuscript, authors must obtain separate and explicit consent for publication when required by applicable ethical standards and law. Consent documentation must be handled securely and must not be published or supplied to reviewers in a form that unnecessarily exposes participants' identities.

2.4. Vulnerable Populations and Communities

Some research participants may be particularly vulnerable to coercion, exploitation, discrimination, or harm because of their age, health, disability, socioeconomic circumstances, employment relationships, dependence on institutions, limited decision-making capacity, or other contextual factors.

In agricultural research, vulnerability may arise when participants depend economically on a farm owner, employer, cooperative, buyer, government program, research institution, or community authority. Researchers must take additional precautions where such relationships could influence voluntary participation or the ability to refuse or withdraw without adverse consequences.

Research involving vulnerable individuals or communities must have an ethically justified purpose, appropriate safeguards, and procedures proportionate to the risks. Researchers must avoid undue influence, protect confidentiality, and ensure that participation is not made a condition of receiving services, employment, agricultural assistance, or other benefits unless such arrangements are ethically justified and appropriately reviewed.

2.5. Research Involving Animals

Research involving animals includes experiments, interventions, observations, sampling, or other procedures involving live animals, including livestock, poultry, fish, laboratory animals, and other animals used in agricultural or related research.

Such research must comply with applicable animal welfare legislation, institutional requirements, and recognized standards for the humane care and use of animals.

Ethical considerations include the scientific justification for animal use, appropriate housing and husbandry, competent handling, minimization of pain and distress, appropriate anesthesia or analgesia where necessary, humane endpoints, and justified euthanasia procedures when applicable.

Authors should consider alternatives to animal use and methods that reduce the number of animals required or refine procedures to minimize suffering. Where formal animal ethics review is required, approval must be obtained before the relevant research activities begin.

2.6. Plant, Microbial, Genetic, and Biological Resources

Agricultural research may involve plants, microorganisms, genetic materials, biological specimens, germplasm, or other biological resources. Such research must comply with relevant biosafety, biosecurity, environmental, genetic-resource access, and material-transfer requirements.

Authors must obtain necessary permissions for the collection, use, transfer, or modification of biological materials. Where applicable, research involving genetically modified organisms, potentially hazardous microorganisms, or other regulated biological materials must comply with the relevant institutional and regulatory requirements.

Research involving genetic resources or associated traditional knowledge must also comply with applicable access-and-benefit-sharing obligations, permits, agreements, and restrictions on use or transfer.

2.7. Environmental and Field Research Ethics

Research conducted in agricultural fields, forests, wetlands, watersheds, protected areas, farms, or other natural and managed environments may create ethical and environmental responsibilities beyond those associated with conventional laboratory research.

Relevant considerations include:

• Permission to access private land, farms, protected areas, or restricted research sites.

• Compliance with applicable environmental and conservation requirements.

• Responsible collection of soil, water, plant, animal, and microbial samples.

• Minimization of environmental disturbance, pollution, and damage to habitats.

• Protection of endangered species, sensitive ecosystems, and vulnerable biological resources.

• Responsible use of fertilizers, pesticides, experimental inputs, and other potentially hazardous materials.

• Compliance with applicable rules governing invasive species, genetic materials, and the movement of biological specimens.

Authors must ensure that field research is conducted with appropriate permissions and safeguards and that material environmental risks or limitations are reported accurately.

2.8. Data Privacy, Confidentiality, and Organizational Permissions

Research may involve personal information, commercially sensitive agricultural data, confidential farm records, proprietary production methods, organizational information, or other restricted materials.

Authors must ensure that such information is collected, stored, analyzed, shared, and reported in accordance with applicable data-protection requirements, consent conditions, contractual obligations, and legitimate confidentiality interests.

Where research involves a specific organization, farm, cooperative, company, or institution, authors must obtain the necessary permission to conduct the research and publish relevant information when such permission is required. Permission to access organizational data does not automatically authorize the public disclosure of confidential or identifiable information.

2.9. Responsible Research Conduct

Responsible research conduct requires honesty, accuracy, accountability, transparency, and respect for ethical obligations throughout the research and publication process.

It includes the accurate collection and reporting of data, appropriate attribution of contributions, disclosure of relevant conflicts of interest, compliance with ethical approvals, responsible management of research materials, and cooperation with legitimate inquiries concerning research integrity.

Research misconduct may include fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, unethical research practices, deliberate concealment of relevant ethical violations, or other conduct that compromises the reliability or integrity of the scholarly record.

Ethical concerns must be assessed fairly and in accordance with the journal's policy on allegations of misconduct and other relevant publication ethics policies.

2.10. Ethical Responsibilities of the Journal

IJASC is responsible for maintaining appropriate editorial procedures to identify, assess, and address ethical concerns associated with submitted and published research.

The journal must evaluate relevant ethics statements, request supporting documentation when reasonably necessary, and seek clarification where disclosures are incomplete or inconsistent.

Editorial decisions must be based on scholarly merit, relevance to the journal's scope, methodological quality, research integrity, and compliance with ethical standards. They must not be improperly influenced by commercial considerations, advertising, sponsorship, institutional pressure, or other interests unrelated to the scholarly and ethical quality of the manuscript.

3. Policy

3.1. General Compliance with Ethical Standards

All research submitted to IJASC must comply with the ethical standards, legal requirements, and institutional policies applicable to the research design, study location, participants, animals, materials, and activities involved.

Authors bear primary responsibility for ensuring that appropriate ethical review, approval, permissions, and consent procedures have been completed before the relevant research activities commence.

Where more than one approval or permit is required, authors must obtain the relevant approvals from the competent bodies. Approval from one authority does not automatically replace other approvals required by law, institutional policy, or the research design.

The journal may decline to consider or publish research where the ethical basis of the study is inadequate, required approvals are absent, consent requirements have not been met, or the reported conduct raises serious unresolved concerns.

3.2. Research Involving Human Participants

Research involving human participants must comply with applicable ethical standards for the protection of human dignity, autonomy, privacy, safety, and welfare.

A. Ethical approval

Authors must obtain approval from an appropriate independent research ethics committee or IRB before commencing research when such approval is required. The manuscript must identify the approving body and provide the approval number or reference, where available.

Where a study is formally exempt from ethical review or does not require review under applicable institutional or national rules, authors must explain the basis for that determination. Where possible, the manuscript should identify the competent authority that granted or confirmed the exemption.

Authors must not retrospectively claim approval that was not obtained. The journal will assess cases in which approval was not obtained before research began in accordance with the applicable requirements and the circumstances of the study.

B. Informed consent

Authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained from participants where required. Consent should be voluntary and based on adequate information about the study.

Where participants cannot legally or independently provide consent, consent must be obtained from a legally authorized representative when required, together with appropriate assent or other safeguards where applicable.

Any waiver or alteration of informed consent must be justified under the applicable ethical framework and supported by the relevant ethics committee or competent authority when required.

C. Privacy and confidentiality

Authors must protect participants' identities and personal information. Identifying details should be omitted, anonymized, or appropriately de-identified unless their inclusion is scientifically necessary and adequately authorized.

Researchers must not assume that removing names alone guarantees anonymity. Combinations of location, occupation, demographic characteristics, quotations, images, or other details may identify an individual or a small community.

D. Risk minimization

Research procedures must be designed to minimize foreseeable physical, psychological, social, economic, reputational, or other harms. Potential risks and safeguards must be appropriately considered and, where relevant, described in the manuscript.

3.3. Vulnerable Participants and Community-Based Research

Research involving vulnerable participants or communities requires additional ethical consideration and safeguards appropriate to the risks and context.

Authors must explain the justification for including vulnerable participants when relevant and describe the procedures used to protect voluntary participation, privacy, dignity, and welfare.

Where gatekeepers, community leaders, employers, farm owners, or institutional representatives facilitate recruitment, their permission does not replace individual informed consent where individual consent is required.

Researchers must take care to avoid coercion, undue influence, stigmatization, exploitation, or disclosure of sensitive information that could harm participants or communities.

Where community knowledge, traditional agricultural practices, or culturally sensitive information is involved, authors should respect applicable community protocols, consent arrangements, access conditions, and legal requirements. Relevant community permissions do not automatically replace individual consent or formal ethical approval when these are required.

3.4. Consent for Publication of Identifiable Information

Where a manuscript includes identifiable personal information, photographs, audio-visual material, detailed case descriptions, or quotations that could reasonably identify a participant, authors must obtain explicit consent for publication when required by applicable ethical standards and law.

Authors must ensure that participants understand the nature and intended context of the publication, including any foreseeable limitations on withdrawing information after publication.

If identifiable information is not essential to the scientific argument, authors should remove or sufficiently de-identify it rather than relying on consent as a substitute for data minimization.

Where an article contains identifiable organizational, farm, or commercial information, authors must obtain the necessary authorization to disclose that information when required and must respect legitimate confidentiality obligations.

3.5. Research Involving Animals

All research involving animals must comply with applicable laws, institutional requirements, and recognized animal welfare standards.

Where animal ethics approval is required, authors must obtain approval from the appropriate animal ethics committee or competent authority before conducting the relevant procedures. The manuscript must identify the approving body and provide the approval reference where available.

Authors must describe relevant animal-related procedures sufficiently to allow readers to assess the scientific and ethical basis of the study. Depending on the research, this may include animal species, source, number, housing, husbandry, experimental procedures, pain or distress mitigation, anesthesia or analgesia, humane endpoints, and euthanasia methods.

Authors must justify the use of animals, apply appropriate welfare safeguards, and consider alternatives or refinements that reduce unnecessary animal use and suffering.

Where authors consider a study exempt from formal animal ethics approval, they must explain the applicable basis for the exemption. The journal may request supporting documentation or clarification.

3.6. Environmental Research, Field Trials, and Biological Resources

Authors conducting field experiments, environmental sampling, or research involving regulated biological materials must obtain the permissions, permits, and approvals required by applicable laws and institutional policies.

The manuscript should identify relevant permits or authorizations when they are material to the research. Authors must accurately describe procedures involving potentially hazardous materials, genetically modified organisms, protected species, sensitive habitats, or other regulated resources.

Researchers must take reasonable steps to minimize environmental harm and comply with applicable requirements for sample collection, transport, storage, transfer, and disposal.

Where genetic resources, associated traditional knowledge, or biological materials are subject to access-and-benefit-sharing arrangements or material-transfer agreements, authors must comply with those requirements and disclose relevant information when appropriate.

IJASC may request supporting documentation when necessary to verify compliance with relevant permits or ethical requirements.

3.7. Data Privacy, Confidentiality, and Security

Authors must manage personal, sensitive, proprietary, and confidential data responsibly throughout the research lifecycle.

They must comply with applicable data-protection laws, consent conditions, institutional requirements, and contractual obligations. Appropriate safeguards may include access controls, secure storage, anonymization, de-identification, encryption, aggregation, and restrictions on data sharing.

Where data cannot be made publicly available because of legitimate privacy, confidentiality, legal, or ownership restrictions, authors must explain the restrictions in accordance with the journal's Data Availability and Reproducibility policy.

Authors must not disclose confidential information obtained through research without appropriate authorization. Reviewers and editors must also maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and supporting materials entrusted to them.

3.8. Research within Organizations and Commercial Settings

Research involving specific farms, agricultural enterprises, cooperatives, laboratories, companies, government agencies, or other organizations must comply with applicable access, confidentiality, and publication requirements.

Authors must obtain necessary permission to conduct the research or use organizational data when required. Where the organization is identified in the manuscript, authors must ensure that such identification is permitted and does not improperly disclose confidential information.

Institutional or organizational permission does not replace ethics approval or individual informed consent where these are independently required.

Authors must report findings accurately and independently. An organization or sponsor must not improperly suppress unfavorable findings, require misleading reporting, or influence editorial decisions.

3.9. Responsible Research Conduct and Publication Integrity

Authors must conduct and report research honestly and transparently. They must not fabricate or falsify data, misrepresent ethical approvals, manipulate records to conceal non-compliance, or make unsupported claims about consent, permits, or participant protection.

All authors are responsible for ensuring that ethical statements in the manuscript accurately reflect the procedures undertaken. The corresponding author should coordinate the collection of relevant information and ensure that required declarations are complete and consistent.

Concerns about fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, unethical research practices, or other forms of misconduct will be handled in accordance with IJASC's policy on allegations of misconduct and applicable COPE guidance.

3.10. Editorial Assessment and Verification

IJASC editors will assess whether manuscripts contain adequate ethical declarations and whether the reported procedures appear consistent with the relevant ethical requirements.

The journal may request copies of ethics approval letters, exemption determinations, permits, consent documentation, or other relevant evidence when reasonably necessary. Documentation containing personal information should be appropriately redacted or handled securely to protect confidentiality.

Where significant concerns arise, the journal may seek clarification from the authors, consult independent experts, or contact the relevant ethics committee, institution, or competent authority, as appropriate and subject to legitimate confidentiality and legal requirements.

A manuscript may be rejected or publication may be suspended where required ethical safeguards are absent, documentation is materially misleading, or serious ethical concerns remain unresolved.

3.11. Handling Ethical Concerns Before and After Publication

IJASC takes credible allegations of ethical violations seriously, whether identified during submission, peer review, production, or after publication.

The journal will assess concerns fairly and proportionately, provide relevant parties with an appropriate opportunity to respond, and seek additional evidence when necessary.

Depending on the circumstances, the journal may request clarification, additional documentation, or corrective changes; suspend editorial processing; reject the manuscript; publish a correction or expression of concern; retract an article; or refer the matter to an appropriate institution or authority.

Where an issue concerns the validity of ethical approval, alleged misconduct, or the protection of participants, animals, communities, or the environment, the journal may seek advice from the relevant independent body.

The response will depend on the nature and seriousness of the concern, the available evidence, the applicable ethical framework, and the implications for the integrity of the scholarly record.

3.12. Ethical Business and Editorial Practices

IJASC is committed to maintaining ethical publishing operations and editorial independence.

Editorial decisions must be based on scholarly quality, relevance, methodological rigor, research integrity, and compliance with ethical requirements. They must not be determined by advertising, sponsorship, publication revenue, personal relationships, or pressure from commercial or institutional stakeholders.

The journal must communicate its ethical requirements transparently to authors, reviewers, and editors. Its marketing and promotional activities must not make misleading claims about peer review, editorial decisions, indexing, publication outcomes, or ethical compliance.

4. Technicalities to Achieve and Materialise the Policies

A. Ethical Statements in Manuscripts

1. General requirement

Authors must include an appropriate ethics statement in manuscripts where ethical review, consent, permits, or other research safeguards are relevant. The statement should appear in a dedicated section, such as “Ethical Considerations,” “Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate,” or another location specified in the journal's Instructions for Authors.

The statement must be accurate and sufficiently detailed to enable readers and editors to understand the ethical basis of the study.

2. Research involving human participants

The statement should identify, where applicable:

• The name of the ethics committee or IRB that reviewed the study.

• The approval number or reference and approval date, where available.

• The basis for any formal exemption or determination that approval was not required.

• Confirmation that informed consent was obtained, including the form of consent where relevant.

• Any waiver or modification of consent and the authority that approved it, where applicable.

• The procedures used to protect privacy, confidentiality, and participant welfare.

• Confirmation of consent for publication where identifiable information is included and consent is required.

Suggested wording when approval was obtained:

“This study was reviewed and approved by [full name of ethics committee or institutional review board] under approval reference [number], dated [date]. Informed consent was obtained from all participants before their involvement in the study.”

Authors must adapt this wording to the actual procedures and must not include an approval number or claim approval unless it is accurate.

Suggested wording when an exemption was formally granted:

“The study was reviewed by [name of competent committee or authority], which determined that formal ethical review was not required under [applicable policy or framework]. The determination reference is [reference, if available].”

Where no formal determination was issued, authors should provide an accurate explanation of the applicable institutional or regulatory basis and should not imply that a committee granted an exemption.

B. Consent and Protection of Identifiable Information

Authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained where required and that confidentiality measures were implemented appropriately.

If a manuscript contains identifiable photographs, personal details, quotations, or case descriptions, authors must confirm that consent for publication was obtained where required.

Consent records should be retained securely by the responsible researchers or institution. Authors should not submit unredacted consent forms containing unnecessary personal information unless specifically requested through a secure and appropriate process.

If the manuscript does not contain identifiable information and no separate publication consent is required, authors should follow the journal's instructions regarding whether an explicit declaration is necessary.

C. Animal Research Ethics Statement

For research involving animals, authors must provide an ethics statement identifying the relevant approval body, approval reference, and applicable welfare framework where required.

The manuscript should also describe the animal procedures and welfare safeguards relevant to the study.

Suggested wording when approval was obtained:

“All procedures involving animals were reviewed and approved by [name of animal ethics committee or competent authority] under approval reference [number]. The study was conducted in accordance with applicable animal welfare requirements and institutional guidelines.”

Authors must adapt the statement to the actual study and applicable requirements.

Where approval was not required, authors must explain the relevant basis and provide supporting documentation when available and requested by the journal.

D. Environmental Permits and Biological Resources

For field research or research involving regulated biological materials, authors should identify relevant permits, access authorizations, biosafety approvals, or material-transfer arrangements where applicable.

The statement should identify the issuing authority and permit reference where these are material to the ethical and legal conduct of the research.

Authors must be able to provide supporting documentation when reasonably requested by the journal.

E. Data Privacy and Organizational Permissions

Where research involves personal, sensitive, proprietary, or confidential data, authors must explain the safeguards used to protect the relevant information.

Where necessary, the manuscript should confirm that appropriate permissions were obtained to access and publish organizational data or identify a particular institution, company, farm, or community.

If public data sharing is restricted, authors must provide a corresponding explanation in the Data Availability Statement, consistent with IJASC's Data Availability and Reproducibility policy.

F. Documentation and Verification by IJASC

IJASC reserves the right to request supporting documentation relevant to ethical compliance, including:

• Ethics committee or IRB approval letters.

• Formal exemption determinations or ethics-review waivers.

• Informed-consent procedures or appropriately redacted consent documentation.

• Animal ethics approvals.

• Fieldwork, environmental, collection, or access permits.

• Biosafety approvals and relevant material-transfer documentation.

• Permissions to use confidential or proprietary organizational data.

• Other documents necessary to assess the ethical basis of the research.

The journal will handle such documentation responsibly and will limit access to individuals who require it for legitimate editorial or ethical assessment.

Where appropriate, IJASC may seek verification from the issuing institution or competent authority. Any such verification must be conducted in a manner consistent with applicable confidentiality, privacy, and legal requirements.

G. Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers and Editors

Peer reviewers should alert the responsible editor when they identify credible concerns about informed consent, ethics approval, animal welfare, privacy, data handling, environmental permissions, or other relevant ethical issues.

Reviewers must not independently contact research participants or institutions about a concern without appropriate authorization from the journal.

Editors are responsible for assessing ethical declarations and determining whether additional information, independent advice, or supporting documentation is required.

Where the handling editor has a conflict of interest, the manuscript should be reassigned to an independent editor. Ethical concerns must be assessed impartially and should not be dismissed solely because a manuscript has received favorable scientific reviews.

H. Addressing Ethical Violations

When a potential ethical violation is identified, IJASC will follow its applicable procedures for allegations of misconduct and publication ethics concerns.

The journal may request an explanation from the authors, examine relevant documents, consult independent experts, or contact an appropriate institution or authority where justified.

Authors will normally be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to material concerns, except where immediate action is necessary to protect individuals, preserve evidence, or comply with legal obligations.

Depending on the findings, the journal may request clarification or correction, suspend editorial processing, reject the manuscript, publish a correction or expression of concern, retract a published article, or refer the matter to the relevant institution or authority.

The journal will maintain appropriate records of its assessment and actions, subject to applicable confidentiality and record-retention requirements.

I. Guidance for Authors

Authors are strongly encouraged to consider ethical requirements at the research-planning stage rather than waiting until manuscript submission.

Before conducting research, authors should:

1. Identify the applicable legal, institutional, and disciplinary ethical requirements.

2. Determine whether independent ethics review, permits, or other authorizations are required.

3. Obtain approvals before commencing the relevant research activities.

4. Develop appropriate consent, confidentiality, privacy, and risk-minimization procedures.

5. Establish safeguards for vulnerable participants and communities where applicable.

6. Ensure appropriate animal welfare, biosafety, and environmental protections.

7. Maintain accurate records of approvals, permissions, and research procedures.

8. Prepare complete and accurate ethical statements for the manuscript.

9. Ensure that data sharing and publication plans are consistent with consent conditions, confidentiality obligations, and applicable law.

Authors should consult their institutions, relevant ethics committees, competent authorities, and recognized disciplinary guidance where the applicable requirements are uncertain.

J. Policy Review and Implementation

The editorial leadership of IJASC is responsible for implementing and periodically reviewing this policy to ensure that it remains appropriate to the journal's scope and consistent with recognized publication ethics standards.

The journal should communicate its requirements through the Instructions for Authors, submission system, editorial procedures, and relevant publication ethics policies.

Substantive revisions should be approved through the journal's appropriate governance process and communicated transparently to authors, reviewers, editors, and readers.

References and Related Guidance

1. Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Core Practices: Ethical Oversight. Available at: https://publicationethics.org/core-practices

2. COPE, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA), and World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing. Available at: https://doi.org/10.24318/cope.2019.1.12

3. World Medical Association. Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Participants. Available at: https://www.wma.net/what-we-do/medical-ethics/declaration-of-helsinki/

4. International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS). Ethical Guidelines and Resources for Animal Research. Available at: https://iclas.org/

5. Relevant national legislation, institutional research ethics policies, animal welfare requirements, environmental regulations, and applicable biosafety and genetic-resource regulations.

Implementation note for IJASC: Before publication, the editorial team should confirm the journal's requirements for human and animal ethics approval, the handling of exemption claims, the documentation required at submission, the contact point for reporting ethical concerns, and the procedures for contacting institutions or ethics committees. These procedures should reflect IJASC's actual governance arrangements and applicable Indonesian and international requirements.