Research Ethics Policy

The Journal of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology is committed to ensuring that all research published in the journal is conducted and reported according to recognized standards of research ethics, integrity, transparency, and participant protection.

The journal follows relevant principles and guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), together with applicable institutional, national, and international ethical requirements.

The protection of research participants, animals, researchers, and the integrity of the scientific record takes priority over publication considerations.

1. Ethical Conduct of Research

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research has been conducted ethically and in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, institutional requirements, and recognized research-ethics principles.

Research involving:

  • Human participants
  • Patients or patient records
  • Human biological materials
  • Animals
  • Clinical trials
  • Identifiable personal or health information

must comply with the relevant ethical requirements before the research is submitted for publication.

2. Institutional Review Board / Ethics Committee Approval

Where required, research involving human participants or human-derived data must receive approval from an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB), Research Ethics Committee, Institutional Ethics Committee, or equivalent authority before the study begins.

Authors should provide:

  • Name of the approving institution or committee.
  • Ethics approval/reference number, where applicable.
  • Date of approval, where applicable.
  • Relevant ethical approval statement in the manuscript.

The Editorial Office may request a copy of the ethics approval documentation at any stage of the editorial or publication process.

Failure to provide appropriate evidence of ethical approval when such approval was required may result in rejection of the manuscript.

3. Informed Consent

Authors must obtain appropriate informed consent from participants where required by the study design and applicable ethical standards.

Participants should be adequately informed about:

  • The purpose of the research.
  • Relevant procedures.
  • Potential risks and benefits.
  • Use of their information or biological materials.
  • Their rights regarding participation.

For case reports, clinical images, or other publications containing potentially identifiable patient information, appropriate consent for publication should be obtained where required.

Personal identifiers should be removed whenever possible.

4. Privacy and Confidentiality

Authors must protect the privacy and confidentiality of research participants.

Manuscripts should not contain unnecessary identifying information such as:

  • Names.
  • Personal identification numbers.
  • Full addresses.
  • Unnecessary photographs.
  • Other information that could reasonably identify an individual.

Where identifiable information is scientifically necessary, appropriate consent and ethical safeguards must be in place.

5. Vulnerable Participants

Research involving vulnerable populations requires additional ethical consideration and appropriate safeguards.

Such populations may include, where applicable:

  • Children and minors.
  • Individuals with impaired decision-making capacity.
  • Prisoners.
  • Economically or socially vulnerable populations.
  • Patients who may be particularly susceptible to coercion or undue influence.

Authors should demonstrate that participation was voluntary and that appropriate protections were implemented.

6. Clinical Trials

Clinical trials should comply with applicable ethical requirements and should be registered in an appropriate publicly accessible clinical-trial registry when registration is required.

Where applicable, manuscripts should provide:

  • Trial registration name.
  • Registration number.
  • Registration date.
  • Relevant protocol information.

Authors should accurately report trial outcomes and should not selectively omit or manipulate results.

7. Animal Research and Welfare

Research involving animals must comply with applicable animal-welfare legislation, institutional policies, and recognized ethical standards.

Authors should demonstrate that:

  • Animal use was scientifically justified.
  • Appropriate welfare measures were implemented.
  • Pain, distress, and suffering were minimized.
  • Humane endpoints were applied where appropriate.
  • Appropriate institutional approval was obtained.

The journal may request evidence of animal ethics approval.

8. Human Biological Materials and Secondary Data

Research using human tissues, biological specimens, medical records, databases, or previously collected data must comply with applicable ethical and legal requirements.

Authors should clearly state whether:

  • Ethical approval was obtained.
  • Consent was obtained or appropriately waived.
  • The data were anonymized or de-identified.
  • Restrictions apply to data access or reuse.

9. Research Integrity

The journal expects authors to maintain the highest standards of research integrity.

Research must not involve:

  • Fabrication of data.
  • Falsification of data.
  • Deliberate manipulation of results.
  • Unethical image manipulation.
  • Plagiarism.
  • Duplicate or redundant publication.
  • Improper authorship.
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest.
  • Manipulation of the peer-review process.
  • Misrepresentation of ethical approval or informed consent.

Authors must report research methods and findings honestly and transparently.

10. Ethical Reporting

Manuscripts must accurately describe the ethical conduct of the research.

Where applicable, the manuscript should contain an Ethics Approval, Informed Consent, or equivalent statement.

Authors must not falsely claim ethical approval, informed consent, trial registration, or other ethical compliance.

If the Editorial Office identifies inconsistencies or concerns, authors may be required to provide supporting documentation or clarification.

11. Research Misconduct and Ethical Concerns

The journal takes allegations of unethical research conduct seriously.

When credible concerns arise, the Editorial Office may:

  • Request clarification from the authors.
  • Request supporting documentation.
  • Consult appropriate experts.
  • Contact the relevant institution or ethics committee.
  • Seek additional information from other responsible authorities.
  • Suspend editorial processing.
  • Reject the manuscript.
  • Issue a correction, expression of concern, or retraction for already published material, where appropriate.

Investigations will be conducted in accordance with relevant publication-ethics principles and applicable COPE guidance.

12. Right to Reject on Ethical Grounds

The Journal of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology reserves the right to reject any manuscript, at any stage of the editorial or publication process, where there are reasonable grounds to believe that the research or reporting does not comply with applicable ethical standards.

A manuscript may be rejected on ethical grounds where, for example:

  • Required ethical approval was not obtained.
  • Informed consent was not appropriately obtained.
  • Participant rights or confidentiality were compromised.
  • Animal welfare requirements were not adequately addressed.
  • Clinical-trial registration requirements were not met where applicable.
  • Research data appear to have been fabricated or falsified.
  • The manuscript contains plagiarism or serious publication misconduct.
  • Ethical documentation is unavailable or cannot be satisfactorily verified.
  • Authors provide misleading or false ethical declarations.
  • The research was conducted in a manner inconsistent with recognized ethical standards.

Ethical concerns may result in rejection regardless of the scientific quality or potential significance of the manuscript.

13. Editorial and Peer-Review Responsibility

Editors and reviewers are expected to identify and report credible ethical concerns encountered during manuscript evaluation.

Reviewers should not independently investigate suspected misconduct or contact participants or institutions without authorization. Concerns should be communicated confidentially to the Editor.

Editors are responsible for determining the appropriate course of action and may seek additional expert or institutional advice when necessary.

14. COPE and ICMJE Guidance

The journal follows relevant COPE principles, guidance, and flowcharts when addressing suspected research misconduct, ethical concerns, corrections, retractions, authorship disputes, and other publication-ethics matters.

The journal also considers applicable ICMJE Recommendations concerning:

  • Protection of research participants.
  • Ethical approval.
  • Informed consent.
  • Clinical trials.
  • Research integrity.
  • Authorship and accountability.
  • Conflicts of interest.
  • Peer review and editorial responsibilities.
  • Corrections and retractions.

These standards are applied alongside applicable institutional, national, and international research-ethics requirements.

15. Author Responsibility

Ethical compliance is ultimately the responsibility of the authors and their affiliated institutions.

By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that:

  • The research was conducted ethically.
  • Required approvals were obtained.
  • Appropriate consent was obtained where necessary.
  • Participant and animal welfare requirements were respected.
  • The information provided to the journal is accurate and complete.
  • Any relevant ethical limitations or exceptions have been disclosed.

Submission of a manuscript does not imply that the journal accepts responsibility for the ethical conduct of the underlying research.

16. Post-Publication Ethical Concerns

Ethical concerns may arise after publication. The journal will investigate credible allegations concerning published research and may take appropriate action to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Depending on the findings, the journal may publish:

  • A Correction.
  • An Editorial Note.
  • An Expression of Concern.
  • A Retraction.

Where appropriate, the journal may also notify relevant institutions or regulatory authorities.

17. Commitment to Ethical Publishing

The Journal of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology considers ethical research conduct a fundamental requirement for publication.

Scientific merit alone is insufficient where research has been conducted or reported unethically. The journal therefore maintains the authority to reject, suspend, correct, or retract scholarly content when necessary to protect research participants, uphold research integrity, and preserve the reliability of the scientific record.