Human and Animal

This policy applies to all submitted manuscripts that involve:

• Human participants and Community-based research
• Interviews or oral histories, Surveys and questionnaires
• Ethnographic or fieldwork studies
• Observational research involving identifiable individuals
• Clinical or behavioral research
• Animal subjects, where applicable

Authors must determine whether their research falls within the scope of ethical review requirements.

Research involving human participants or animals must receive prior approval from an appropriate ethics review body. This may include:

• Institutional Review Boards (IRB)
• Human Research Ethics Committees
• Animal Care and Use Committees
• Institutional or national regulatory bodies

Authors must confirm that ethical approval was obtained before conducting the research.

Where ethics approval was not required, authors must provide justification consistent with institutional or national guidelines.

Authors must ensure that informed consent was obtained from all research participants. Informed consent requires that participants:

• Understand the purpose of the research
• Are aware of their role and involvement
• Participate voluntarily
• Have the right to withdraw without consequence

Where written consent is not feasible, authors must document alternative consent procedures.

Researchers must protect the privacy, dignity, and confidentiality of participants. Authors must ensure:

• Anonymization of personal data where appropriate
• Secure handling of sensitive information
• Protection of cultural, religious, or community identities
• Responsible reporting that avoids harm or stigmatization

Identifiable information must not be published without explicit consent.

Additional safeguards are required when research involves vulnerable groups, including:

• Children or minors
• Refugees or displaced persons
• Marginalized communities
• Individuals with limited autonomy

Authors must demonstrate that participation was ethically justified and appropriately protected.

Where animal subjects are involved, authors must ensure:

• Humane treatment and care
• Compliance with institutional and national animal welfare regulations
• Minimization of harm and distress
• Scientific justification for animal use

Ethics approval documentation must be available upon request.

Authors must include an ethics statement within their manuscript where applicable. Such statements should indicate:

• The approving ethics body
• Approval reference number, if available
• Confirmation of informed consent
• Compliance with relevant guidelines

Manuscripts lacking required ethical declarations may be returned for clarification.

The editorial office and reviewers may request documentation to verify ethical compliance. Where ethical concerns arise, the journal may:

• Request additional approvals or clarifications
• Delay editorial decisions
• Initiate ethics investigations under misconduct procedures

Failure to comply may result in:

• Manuscript rejection or Publication correction
• Expression of concern or Article retraction
• Notification to affiliated institutions

Actions are determined based on the severity and impact of the violation.

This policy operates within the broader framework of the journal’s publication ethics governance and is interconnected with policies on research misconduct, data transparency, authorship responsibility, and post-publication corrections.

JOIS affirms its responsibility to ensure that research involving humans and animals is conducted with respect, integrity, and accountability.

Ethical compliance is essential to protecting participants, maintaining public trust, and preserving the credibility of scholarly publication.