Informed Consent

   All participants in human subjects’ research have a right to privacy that should not be violated without informed consent. Identifying information, including names, initials, etc., should not be published in written descriptions, photographs, or pedigrees unless the information is essential for scientific purposes and the participants (or parent or guardian) give written informed consent for publication. Informed consent in this situation requires that an identifiable participant be shown the manuscript and should provide the consent before publication. Authors should disclose to these patients whether any potential identifiable material might be available via the Internet as well as in print after publication. Participants’ consent should be written and archived either with the Journal, the authors, or both, as dictated by local regulations or laws.

    All studies involving human participants must obtain informed consent from participants prior to their involvement in the research. Informed consent ensures that participants are fully aware of the study's purpose, procedures, potential risks, and benefits, and that they voluntarily agree to participate. Authors must provide a statement confirming that informed consent was obtained from all participants. If consent was not required (e.g., for anonymized data), authors must justify this exemption and provide evidence that the study posed no risk to participants.

Example Statement:

"Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to their involvement in the study. Participants were informed of the study's purpose, procedures, potential risks, and benefits, and their right to withdraw at any time without penalty."

 

1. Exemption from Informed Consent

   In cases where informed consent was not required (e.g., for studies using anonymized data or publicly available datasets), authors must provide a clear justification for this exemption. The justification must include:

- A description of why consent was not required.

- Evidence that the study posed no risk to participants.

- Confirmation that the data were anonymized and cannot be traced back to individual participants.

Example Justification:

"Informed consent was not required for this study as it involved the analysis of anonymized data from a publicly available dataset. The data were fully anonymized, and no identifiable information was accessible to the researchers. The study posed no risk to participants, as no personal or sensitive information was collected or analyzed."

   Authors must retain documentation of informed consent (e.g., signed consent forms) and provide it to the journal upon request. For studies exempt from consent, authors must provide documentation of the anonymization process or the public availability of the data.

    For studies involving vulnerable populations (e.g., children, individuals with cognitive impairments, or prisoners), additional safeguards must be in place to ensure informed consent is obtained appropriately. Authors must describe these safeguards in the manuscript.

All research involving human participants must comply with international ethical guidelines, such as the Declaration of Helsinki and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recommendations. Authors must confirm compliance in their manuscript.

 

2. Manuscript Submission Requirements

   During submission, authors must:

- Include the informed consent statement or exemption justification in the manuscript.

- Upload documentation of informed consent or anonymization (if applicable) as part of the supplementary materials.

- Provide contact information for the corresponding author in case the editorial team requires further clarification.

    Failure to provide adequate documentation of informed consent or a valid justification for exemption may result in the manuscript being rejected or returned for further clarification.

    This policy ensures that the Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences (CJES) upholds the highest ethical standards in research involving human participants, protecting their rights and welfare while maintaining the integrity of the published research. For further clarification, authors may refer to the journal’s Instructions for Authors or contact the editorial office.