Reputable journals have stringent checks to ensure that the research they publish has been conducted ethically. Inability to pass journal ethics checks is one of the most common reasons for desk rejection. Fortunately, you can set yourself up for future publication success by meeting three simple requirements early in your research process. | | |
“Ethics... has been well called 'the religion of science'”
- Edwin Grant Conklin |
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Three keys to passing journal ethics checks | | |
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1. Documented 3rd party oversight |
If you work with living organisms—whether human patients, lab animals, cultured cells, or plants—oversight and approval by an ethics committee is a prerequisite for publication at any reputable journal. | | |
TIP |
Even if you think your study may be exempt from committee oversight, submit it for review and obtain a waiver before your work begins. Most journals will not accept retrospective approvals! | | |
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2. Consent & anonymity |
If you work with human participants or human tissue, formal consent is essential. And of course, any human participants must remain anonymous. Researchers must protect not only the person’s name, but any potentially identifying information, like birth date, address, or job information. | | |
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3. Full transparency |
No matter the discipline, transparent reporting of methods, results, data, software and code is an important part of ethical research practice and key to the future reproducibility of your work. | | | | | |
Take our Self-Assessment
Are you ethics-check ready? | | | |
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Before you begin your research |
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Obtain approval from your IRB, IACUC or other approving body | | | |
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Obtain written informed consent from human participants, guardians or next-of-kin | | | |
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Obtain permits or permission from property owners, or confirm that permits are not required | | | |
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Label and save all of records | | | | | | | | | |
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As you work |
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Adhere strictly to the protocols approved by your committee | | | |
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Clearly label your data, and store it in a way that will make sense to your future self | | | | | | | | | |
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As you write, submit and deposit your results |
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Be ready to cite specific approval organizations, permit numbers, cell lines, and other details in your ethics statement and in the methods section of your manuscript | | | |
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Anonymize all participant data (including human and in some cases animal or geographic data) | | | |
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If a figure does include identifying information (e.g. a participant’s face) obtain special consent | | | | | | | | | |
What’s next? |
Stay tuned for our next issue, on how (and when) to share your study. | | | |
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