Research Ethics

Advances in BioScience maintains a rigorous ethical framework to protect research participants, ensure animal welfare, and preserve the integrity of the scientific record. All submissions must comply with internationally recognized ethical standards, including requirements for human and animal welfare and informed consent, the protection of participant privacy and confidentiality, and must meet applicable institutional, national, and international ethical, biosafety, and regulatory obligations, where relevant. Manuscripts lacking verifiable ethical approvals, consent statements, or justified exemptions will not be considered for publication.

Human Research Ethics

All studies involving human participants, human biological materials (including tissues, cells, and bodily fluids), or identifiable human data must comply with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and must have received prior approval from a duly constituted Institutional Review Board (IRB), Research Ethics Committee (REC), or equivalent ethics review body.

Manuscripts must include a clear statement confirming:

  • The name of the ethics committee or IRB that reviewed and approved the study
  • The approval reference number or protocol identifier
  • The date of approval

If ethical approval was deemed unnecessary, authors must provide a clear justification supported by relevant national or institutional regulations or guidelines. For retrospective studies using anonymized data or publicly available datasets, authors must explain why ethics approval was not required.

Manuscripts lacking an explicit ethics statement will not be considered for review.

Animal Research Ethics

All research involving animals must comply with internationally accepted ethical standards, including the ARRIVE guidelines (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments), the EU Directive 2010/63/EU, the U.S. Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, or equivalent national standards.

Authors must confirm that:

  • The study protocol was reviewed and approved by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or equivalent animal ethics body
  • The name of the approving committee, approval code/reference number, and date of approval are provided
  • The use of animals was scientifically justified and necessary
  • All efforts were made to minimize animal suffering through appropriate anesthesia, analgesia, and humane endpoints
  • The minimum number of animals necessary to achieve valid scientific objectives was used (with justification for sample size)

For studies involving field research on wild animals, authors must provide information on necessary permits and compliance with local wildlife protection regulations.

Informed Consent Requirements

For studies involving human participants, authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained from all participants (or their legally authorized representatives) prior to participation. Participants must have been fully informed about:

  • The study's purpose, procedures, and duration
  • Potential risks and benefits
  • Their right to withdraw at any time without penalty
  • How their data and privacy will be protected

Special considerations:

  • Vulnerable populations (e.g., minors, prisoners, individuals with cognitive impairments, or economically disadvantaged groups): Consent must be obtained from legally authorized representatives in addition to assent from participants where appropriate.
  • Identifiable individuals in images or case reports: Identifiable features must be anonymized or masked unless their inclusion is scientifically essential. In all cases where a participant may be recognizable, explicit written informed consent for publication must be obtained and documented in the manuscript.
  • Waiver of consent: If written consent was not obtained or waived by the ethics committee, authors must provide justification and describe alternative procedures used, including ethics committee approval of the waiver.

For studies using existing medical records, biospecimens, or anonymized data, authors must clarify whether consent was obtained or waived, and provide ethics committee documentation of the waiver.

Ethical Reporting of Negative and Null Results

Advances in BioScience recognizes the ethical imperative to publish well-designed research regardless of its outcome. We strongly encourage the submission of studies with negative, null, or inconclusive results.

The transparent reporting of these findings is vital to the scientific community as it:

  • Reduces publication bias and selective reporting
  • Prevents unnecessary repetition of experiments involving human participants or animals
  • Contributes to a complete and accurate scientific record, which is essential for reliable evidence synthesis and meta-analyses.

Submissions reporting negative findings will be evaluated strictly on their methodological rigor and scientific merit, rather than the direction, magnitude, or statistical significance of the results.

Biosafety and Biosecurity

For research involving hazardous biological agents, genetically modified organisms, recombinant DNA, CRISPR/gene editing, or materials with potential "dual-use" concerns, where applicable, authors must confirm that:

  • All experiments were conducted in facilities meeting appropriate Biosafety Level (BSL) requirements
  • All work complied with institutional biosafety committees and national biosecurity regulations
  • Necessary risk assessments were completed

Ethical Frameworks & Reporting Standards

To ensure ethical research practices, Advances in BioScience requires all authors to comply with the following international guidelines:

  • WMA - Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects, established by the World Medical Association.
  • Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals: A foundational document outlining internationally recognized ethical principles and standards for the care, use, and welfare of animals in research.
  • ARRIVE Guidelines: The definitive reporting standard for ensuring transparency, reproducibility, and methodological rigor in animal research publications.
  • EU Directive 2010/63/EU: The EU’s legal framework for the protection and welfare of animals used for scientific purposes.