The International Journal of Medical Toxicology and Forensic Medicine (IJMTFM) is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards in medical and health-related research and publication. The journal requires all research involving human participants, human data or biological materials, and animals to comply with applicable ethical principles, national and international regulations, and recognized standards of responsible research.
IJMTFM follows the principles of the World Medical Association (WMA) Declaration of Helsinki – Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Participants (2024) and the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) concerning the protection of research participants.
Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research has been conducted ethically and in accordance with applicable institutional, national, and international requirements.
All research involving human participants must be conducted in accordance with internationally recognized ethical principles and applicable local regulations.
Authors must indicate in the manuscript whether the study was reviewed and approved by an appropriate independent ethics committee, institutional review board (IRB), or equivalent responsible review body.
Where applicable, authors should provide:
Authors must be prepared to provide documentation of ethical approval if requested by the Editor.
Approval by an ethics committee or institutional review board does not prevent the editors of IJMTFM from evaluating whether the research was conducted in accordance with appropriate ethical standards.
If a study was conducted in a setting where formal ethical review was not required or was unavailable, the authors must clearly explain the circumstances and describe the ethical safeguards applied to protect participants.
Research involving human participants must comply with the ethical principles established in the Declaration of Helsinki, as revised by the World Medical Association in 2024.
The Declaration emphasizes respect for human dignity, autonomy, privacy, confidentiality, and the rights and welfare of research participants. The interests and rights of individual research participants must take precedence over the interests of science or society when the two are in conflict.
Researchers must ensure that potential risks and burdens are appropriately assessed and minimized and that research is scientifically justified and conducted by appropriately qualified individuals.
IJMTFM expects authors to comply with the current version of the Declaration of Helsinki rather than relying on superseded versions.
Appropriate informed consent must be obtained from participants before their involvement in research, where required by applicable ethical and legal standards.
The informed-consent process should provide participants with sufficient information about the purpose of the research, procedures, potential risks and benefits, confidentiality, voluntary participation, and their right to withdraw without penalty, as applicable.
For research involving individuals who cannot provide informed consent themselves, consent should be obtained from an authorized representative in accordance with applicable laws and ethical requirements.
Participants have a fundamental right to privacy.
Authors must not publish identifying information, including names, initials, hospital or medical record numbers, addresses, or other identifiable information, unless such information is scientifically essential and appropriate consent for publication has been obtained.
Non-essential identifying details should be omitted from manuscripts, photographs, figures, pedigrees, and case descriptions.
When there is any doubt about whether a participant can be identified, appropriate informed consent for publication should be obtained.
Masking only the eye region of a person's face is generally not considered sufficient to ensure anonymity.
If identifying characteristics are modified to protect participant confidentiality, authors must ensure that the modifications do not distort or misrepresent the scientific meaning of the information.
When a manuscript contains potentially identifiable information, including clinical photographs, case details, genetic pedigrees, or other identifying material, authors must obtain appropriate written informed consent for publication.
Where required, the participant should be given the opportunity to review the material intended for publication.
Authors should inform participants that published material may be available electronically and may remain permanently accessible through the Internet.
The consent documentation must be retained by the authors or the responsible institution in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. IJMTFM may request confirmation that appropriate consent has been obtained.
Research involving vulnerable individuals or groups requires particular ethical consideration.
Authors must demonstrate that appropriate safeguards have been implemented to protect the rights, welfare, dignity, privacy, and interests of vulnerable participants.
Where participation involves individuals with limited capacity to provide informed consent, appropriate additional protections and consent procedures must be implemented in accordance with applicable ethical and legal requirements.
Research involving identifiable human biological materials, genetic information, medical records, databases, or other personal health information must comply with applicable ethical, legal, and regulatory requirements.
Authors must ensure that appropriate ethical approval and consent requirements have been satisfied.
Where relevant, authors should explain how participant confidentiality and data security were maintained.
Clinical trials submitted to IJMTFM must comply with applicable ethical and regulatory standards.
Where applicable, clinical trials should be registered in an appropriate publicly accessible clinical trial registry before enrollment of the first participant, in accordance with relevant international standards.
Authors should provide the trial registration number and registry name in the manuscript when applicable.
The manuscript should accurately describe the study protocol, outcomes, and any deviations from the original protocol.
Research involving animals must be conducted in accordance with applicable institutional, national, and international standards for the care and use of laboratory animals.
Authors must provide information regarding:
IJMTFM will not support unnecessary or unjustified animal experimentation.
Authors should include an appropriate Ethics Approval statement in the manuscript whenever applicable.
For studies requiring ethical approval, the statement should identify the approving institution and approval/reference number.
For studies that did not require formal ethical approval, authors should provide a clear explanation where appropriate.
Similarly, manuscripts should include an Informed Consent statement when human participants or identifiable information are involved.
The editors of IJMTFM may request additional information or documentation concerning the ethical conduct of a study at any stage of the editorial process.
If significant ethical concerns arise, the journal may:
Such matters will be handled in accordance with applicable publication ethics principles and relevant COPE guidance.
Authors are responsible for ensuring that:
Failure to comply with these requirements may result in rejection of the manuscript or appropriate corrective action after publication.
International Journal of Medical Toxicology and Forensic Medicine (IJMTFM) is committed to protecting research participants and maintaining the highest standards of ethical conduct in medical research.
The journal will regularly review its research ethics policies to ensure continued alignment with current international standards, including the 2024 Declaration of Helsinki and the current ICMJE Recommendations.
Authors and readers are encouraged to consult the official versions of the relevant guidelines for the most current requirements.