Policy for Originality & Ethics

Policy for Research Originality, Ethics and Integrity Ad-Hoc Committee

1. Establishment and Mandate

Name and Status:

An Ad-Hoc Research Manuscript Originality, Ethics and Integrity Review Committee (hereinafter, "the Committee") shall be established as a temporary body reporting directly to the Editor-in-Chief. The Committee operates on an ad-hoc basis, providing expert ethical reviews and supporting the editorial decision-making process.

Purpose:
The Committee's primary purpose is to conduct impartial, expert reviews of research manuscripts to ensure compliance with institutional policies and international standards, focusing on:

  1. Research Originality & Integrity – Ensuring originality, novelty, and the absence of scientific misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, fabrication, falsification).
  2. Ethical Compliance – Verify following the EIJET’s ethical guidelines and recognized research ethics practices.
  3. Data Protection – Ensuring compliance with privacy and data security protocols, especially regarding human subjects, institutional data, animal studies, and child-related research.

Scope:
This regulation applies to manuscripts flagged during preliminary review or those requiring specialized ethical scrutiny.

2. Committee Composition and Appointment

Composition:
The Committee shall comprise at least three (3) members, appointed per manuscript, based on relevant expertise:

  1. Chairperson – A senior academic/editor experienced in research ethics.
  2. Subject Matter Expert – To evaluate content novelty and methodology.
  3. Ethics/Data Specialist – With expertise in human/animal ethics, data protection, or institutional governance.

Appointment and Tenure:
Members are appointed by the Editor-in-Chief for the duration of the manuscript review. Membership ends upon submission of the final report.

Conflicts of Interest:
Members must declare any conflicts—financial, professional, or personal—and recuse themselves if a conflict exists.

3. Review Procedure and Standards

Originality and Novelty:

  • Verification of plagiarism screening using appropriate software.
  • Manual review of citations and quoted material.
  • Evaluation of the manuscript’s novelty and contribution to the field.

Review Location:
Reviews are to be conducted within the authorized office of the Journal to ensure communication privacy and confidentiality.

Ethical Clearance Verification:

  • Human Subjects: If humans are involved in the research the written consent should be taken for usage and disclosure of their data. For this the official IRB/IEC or any other AMU approvals need to be reviewed.
  • Animal Use: Review of IACUC or equivalent documentation provided by AMU.

Consent and Transparency:

  • Informed Consent: Confirmed documentation for all human participants.
  • Child Assent: Verification of assent procedures in addition to guardian consent.

4. Data Privacy and Protection

Individual and Institutional Data:

  • Anonymization: All identifying data must be removed or masked.
  • Institutional Privacy: Where institutional data is used, evidence of permission or a data-sharing agreement is required.
  • Re-identification Risk: Assessment of whether indirect identifiers could risk participant or institutional identity; adjustments must be made accordingly.

Special Considerations – Children:

  • Media Protection: Audio/visual content must be obscured unless explicit, case-specific permission is documented.
  • Data Sensitivity: Ensure no data reporting inadvertently exposes children to stigma or risk.

Animal Welfare:

  • Care Standards: Manuscripts must describe compliance with accepted welfare standards (e.g., ARRIVE guidelines).
  • Pain Minimization: Demonstration that methods reduce pain, suffering, and animal use to the minimum necessary.

5. Reporting and Confidentiality

Confidentiality:
All materials, discussions, and findings are confidential. Committee members must not share any case information outside of formal proceedings.

Reporting Outcomes:
The Committee shall submit a formal report to the Editor-in-Chief within the designated timeframe, with one of the following determinations:

  1. Approval – Manuscript meets all ethical and integrity standards.
  2. Conditional Approval – Minor revisions needed to address ethical or privacy concerns.
  3. Rejection / Mandatory Revision – Major ethical breaches or insufficient documentation, requiring withdrawal or formal re-evaluation.

Record Keeping:
The Editorial Manager will retain the final report confidentially for a minimum of one (1) year.