Policies on Conflict of Interest, Human and Animal Rights, and Informed Consent

Purpose:
The Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Research (JHRR) is committed to ensuring the highest standards of integrity and transparency in the research we publish. To achieve this, we require comprehensive disclosures from all authors, reviewers, and editors regarding any potential conflicts of interest (COI) that could impact their contributions.

Definition of Conflict of Interest:

A conflict of interest arises when personal, financial, or professional affiliations could potentially or perceptibly influence an individual's judgment and objectivity.

Disclosure Requirements:

• Authors: Must disclose any financial (e.g., employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, patents) or personal relationships influencing or perceived to influence the research.
• Reviewers and Editors: Must disclose any conflicts that may affect their review or handling of the manuscript.
• Disclosures must be comprehensive, covering all relevant financial, personal, and professional relationships, and provided at the time of submission.

Management of Conflicts of Interest:

• Disclosures will be published alongside articles to ensure transparency.
• In significant conflict cases, actions such as reviewer/editor recusal, additional peer review, or publication of an editorial statement may be taken.

Human and Animal Rights Policy:

• Human Research: Must align with the Declaration of Helsinki, including obtaining ethical approval and informed consent from all participants.
• Animal Research: Must follow international guidelines for animal care and use, including obtaining necessary approvals and minimizing animal suffering.

Informed Consent Policy:

• Requirement: Mandatory informed consent from all human research participants, covering both participation and the publication of identifiable information.
• Documentation: Authors must affirm in their manuscript that informed consent for publication of identifiable information was secured.
• Privacy and Confidentiality: Must be maintained in accordance with legal and ethical standards regarding the use of personal data.

Implementation:

• Submission Process: Authors are required to submit COI disclosures, ethics approvals, and informed consent statements with their manuscripts.
• Verification: JHRR's editorial team will verify compliance with these policies during peer review. Non-compliance could lead to manuscript rejection or requests for modifications.
• Publication: Articles will note compliance with these policies to inform readers about the ethical standards upheld in the research.