Ethical Oversight Policy

TJCSS requires all research to respect human dignity, participant welfare, privacy, confidentiality, informed consent, and applicable ethical standards.

Ethical oversight applies particularly to research involving:

  • Human participants
  • Interviews and focus groups
  • Surveys and questionnaires
  • Personal or sensitive data
  • Children
  • Vulnerable individuals or communities
  • Medical or psychological information
  • Indigenous or marginalized communities
  • Covert observation
  • Online communities and social media data
  • Animals, where applicable
  • Research that may create physical, psychological, social, legal, or economic risk

1. Ethical Approval

Where required, authors must obtain approval from an appropriate institutional review board, research ethics committee, or other authorized body before beginning the research.

The manuscript should state:

  • Name of the approving institution or committee
  • Approval or reference number
  • Date of approval, where applicable
  • Nature of the approval
  • Confirmation that the research followed applicable ethical standards

The journal may request a copy of the approval letter.

2. Research Not Requiring Formal Approval

If formal ethical approval was not required, authors must provide a clear explanation.

The absence of a local ethics committee does not remove the author’s responsibility to protect participants and follow recognized ethical principles.

The editor may request additional information or independent advice if the ethical basis of the research is unclear.

3. Informed Consent

Authors must obtain free and informed consent from participants where required.

Participants should receive appropriate information about:

  • Purpose of the research
  • Nature of their participation
  • Possible risks and benefits
  • Voluntary nature of participation
  • Right to refuse or withdraw
  • Use and storage of their information
  • Publication of findings
  • Measures used to protect confidentiality

Consent may be written, verbal, or otherwise appropriately documented, depending on the research context and ethics approval.

4. Vulnerable Participants

Research involving children, persons with impaired decision making capacity, displaced persons, prisoners, economically dependent participants, or other vulnerable groups requires particular care.

Where applicable, authors must obtain:

  • Consent from a parent, guardian, or legally authorized representative
  • Assent from the participant
  • Additional institutional or ethical approval
  • Appropriate safeguarding arrangements

Participation must not be obtained through coercion, pressure, or inappropriate incentives.

5. Privacy and Confidentiality

Authors must protect participants’ identities and personal information.

Names, photographs, case details, quotations, locations, or combinations of information that could identify a participant must not be published without appropriate permission.

Removing a participant’s name may not be sufficient if other details allow identification.

6. Consent for Publication

Separate consent may be required to publish identifiable information, images, recordings, or detailed case material.

Consent to participate in research does not always constitute consent to publish identifiable information.

7. Online and Social Media Research

Public availability of online information does not automatically remove ethical responsibilities.

Authors conducting internet or social media research should consider:

  • Reasonable expectations of privacy
  • Sensitivity of the information
  • Possibility of identifying users
  • Platform terms and conditions
  • Need for consent
  • Potential harm caused by publication
  • Secure storage of collected data

Direct quotations from online users should be handled carefully if they can be searched and traced to the original person.

8. Community Based Research

Research involving specific communities should respect local culture, dignity, safety, and community interests.

Researchers must avoid exploitation, stigmatization, discriminatory language, and unnecessary identification of communities.

9. Deception and Covert Research

Research involving deception or covert observation must have a strong academic justification and appropriate ethical approval.

Authors must explain:

  • Why deception or concealment was necessary
  • Why a less intrusive method was not suitable
  • How risks were minimized
  • Whether participants were later informed
  • How consent requirements were addressed

10. Research Related Harm

Authors must identify and minimize possible harm, including:

  • Physical harm
  • Psychological distress
  • Social stigma
  • Loss of privacy
  • Legal risk
  • Financial harm
  • Political or professional consequences

The interests and safety of participants must take priority over publication interests.

11. Editorial Action

TJCSS may reject, suspend, correct, or retract work where:

  • Ethical approval was required but not obtained
  • Approval information was misrepresented
  • Consent was absent or inadequate
  • Participants were exposed to unjustified harm
  • Privacy or confidentiality was seriously violated
  • Research failed to follow applicable ethical standards