The International Journal of Applied and Behavioral Sciences (IJABS) is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in scholarly publishing. All research published in the journal must adhere to internationally accepted ethical principles to ensure integrity, transparency, accountability, and respect for human and animal subjects.
This policy is guided by the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), ICMJE Recommendations, and international best practices for responsible research and publication.
1. Ethical Approval and Compliance
All research involving human participants, animals, biological materials, or sensitive data must have been conducted in accordance with relevant ethical guidelines, institutional regulations, and applicable national or international laws.
Authors must clearly state in the manuscript:
- The name of the approving ethics committee or institutional review board (IRB)
- Approval reference number (where applicable)
- Confirmation that ethical standards were followed
If ethical approval was not required, authors must provide a justified statement explaining the exemption.
2. Research Involving Human Participants
2.1 Ethical Statement
Manuscripts reporting research involving human participants must include an explicit Ethical Statement confirming that:
- The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki or equivalent ethical standards
- Ethical approval was obtained prior to the commencement of the study
2.2 Informed Consent
Authors must confirm that:
- Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to their involvement
- For minors or vulnerable populations, consent was obtained from parents, guardians, or legally authorized representatives
For surveys, interviews, and observational studies, authors must clarify how consent was obtained and documented.
2.3 Privacy and Confidentiality
Researchers must ensure:
- Anonymity or confidentiality of participants
- Removal of identifying information unless explicit consent has been obtained
- Secure handling of personal and sensitive data
3. Research Involving Animals
Studies involving animals must comply with institutional, national, and international guidelines for the care and use of laboratory or field animals.
Authors must include:
- Approval from an appropriate animal ethics committee
- A statement confirming humane treatment and efforts to minimize suffering
Manuscripts that do not meet ethical standards for animal welfare will not be considered for publication.
4. Use of Secondary Data and Publicly Available Data
For studies using secondary datasets, authors must:
- Clearly cite the original data source
- Confirm that data use complies with the terms of access and ethical requirements
- State whether ethical approval or consent was required or waived
5. Clinical Trials and Intervention Studies
Clinical trials and intervention-based studies must:
- Be registered in a recognized public trial registry prior to participant enrollment
- Include the registration number in the manuscript
Failure to disclose trial registration may result in rejection.
6. Authorship and Contributor Responsibility
All listed authors must:
- Have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the research
- Approve the final version of the manuscript
- Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work
Guest, gift, or ghost authorship is strictly prohibited.
7. Conflicts of Interest and Funding Disclosure
Authors must disclose:
- Any financial, personal, institutional, or professional relationships that could influence the research
- All sources of funding or financial support
If no conflicts exist, authors must explicitly state:
“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
8. Ethical Misconduct and Corrections
Ethical misconduct includes, but is not limited to:
- Plagiarism
- Data fabrication or falsification
- Undisclosed conflicts of interest
- Ethical approval misrepresentation
If ethical concerns arise after publication, IJABS will follow COPE procedures, which may include:
- Issuing corrections or expressions of concern
- Retraction of published articles
- Notification of relevant institutions
9. Responsibility of Editors and Reviewers
Editors and reviewers are required to:
- Maintain confidentiality
- Declare conflicts of interest
- Conduct fair, unbiased, and ethical evaluation of manuscripts
- Report suspected ethical violations to the editorial office
10. Policy Review and Updates
This Ethical Standards policy is reviewed periodically to ensure alignment with evolving international ethical guidelines and indexing requirements. Updates will be published on the journal website as necessary.
