Research Ethics Policy

BSMMU journals maintain the prerogative to reject any manuscript that exhibits unethical conduct in either human or animal studies.

 Human Research

Regarding research involving human experiments, the manuscript must incorporate a statement confirming the acquisition of ethical approval (or an explanation of why ethical approval was not necessary), which should include details of the ethics committee(s) or institutional review board(s), the corresponding approval number(s) or ID(s), and an assertion that participants provided informed consent prior to their involvement (or an explanation of why consent was not required). Authors should also declare that the study adhered to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki (revised in Edinburgh 2000). The Declaration of Helsinki can be accessed at the following link: https://www.wma.net/what-we-do/medical-ethics/declaration-of-helsinki/doh-oct2000.

In line with the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the Declaration of Helsinki, clinical trials should be registered prospectively before participant enrollment. Authors are obligated to include the registration numbers of clinical trials in all papers reporting on such trials.

If illustrations contain identifiable images of individuals, whether living or deceased, utmost caution must be exercised to ensure that appropriate consent for publication has been obtained. Efforts should be made to preserve patient anonymity. Photographs must be suitably cropped to prevent the recognition of human subjects, and at a minimum, the eyes and eyebrows should be masked using coarse pixilation to render the individual unidentifiable.

 Animal Research

For experiments involving animals, the authors must specify the nature of the ethical review permissions obtained, relevant licenses (e.g., Animal [Scientific Procedures] Act 1986), and the national or institutional guidelines governing the care and use of animals during the research.

In certain cases, the Editorial Office retains the right to request supplementary information regarding experiments featured in a manuscript.