Statement of Informed Consent

International Journal of Medical Advances and Basic Health Research (IJMABHR), published by Anfo Publication House

Research involving human participants must follow the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and applicable national guidelines, including the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research Involving Human Participants. Our practices also follow the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Studies involving human participants must be approved by an Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) or Institutional Review Board (IRB) before the research begins.
2. Authors must state the name of the approving committee and the approval or reference number in the Methods section.
3. If a study is exempt from review, or approval was not required, the authors must explain why.

1. Authors must obtain informed consent from all participants before they are included in the study. Participants must be told the purpose of the study, what is involved, any risks and benefits, how their data will be protected, and that they may withdraw at any time without penalty.
2. Consent should be given voluntarily and, in most cases, in writing. Where the ethics committee has approved verbal or waived consent (for example, in retrospective or anonymized record studies), the authors must state this and give the reason.

1. Patient names, initials, hospital numbers, dates, and other identifying details must not be published unless they are essential for scientific purposes and the patient has given written consent.
2. Photographs, images, and case details that could identify a person (including the face, tattoos, and distinctive features) require the patient's specific written consent for publication. Masking the eyes or face is usually not enough to protect identity.
3. Case reports and case series must include a statement that the patient has consented to publication. Editors may request a copy of the signed consent form, which is kept confidential.

1. For children and minors, consent must be obtained from a parent or legal guardian. Where appropriate for the child's age and understanding, the child's own assent should also be sought.
2. For adults who cannot consent due to illness or incapacity, consent must be obtained from a legally authorized representative.
3. If the person has died, consent should be obtained from the next of kin or legal representative.

All manuscripts involving human participants or patient information must include a section titled "Ethics Approval and Informed Consent" that states:

1. The name of the ethics committee and the approval number and date.
2. Whether informed consent was obtained, and in what form (written, verbal, or waived).
3. Consent for publication, where personal information or images are included.

The editorial office may ask authors for proof of ethics approval or informed consent at any stage. If consent or approval was not obtained, or has been misreported, the journal may reject the manuscript or retract a published article, in line with our Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement.

Questions about this statement may be sent to the editorial office at [email protected].