Human and Animal Research Ethics Policy

Research published in the Global South Journal of Applied Research (GSJAR) must respect the dignity, rights, safety, privacy and welfare of human participants and the humane treatment of animals.

Research involving human participants, identifiable information, biological material, sensitive communities or interventions must receive approval or exemption from an appropriate institutional ethics committee before data collection where such review is required. The manuscript must state the approving body, approval or reference number where available, and the basis of any exemption.

Authors must obtain informed consent appropriate to the study and participant population. Consent for participation is distinct from consent to publish identifiable information, photographs, case details or quotations. Additional publication consent must be obtained where individuals may reasonably be recognised.

Research involving children, persons with impaired decision-making capacity, displaced populations, economically vulnerable groups, indigenous communities or other potentially vulnerable participants requires safeguards proportionate to the risks and context.

Privacy must be protected through appropriate anonymisation, pseudonymisation, secure storage and restricted access. Authors should not publish unnecessary identifying information.

Animal research must receive appropriate institutional approval, comply with applicable welfare requirements and demonstrate that the design minimised pain, distress and unnecessary use of animals.

Where formal ethics review was not available or not legally required, authors must explain how ethical principles were addressed. Lack of formal review does not remove the author’s duty to protect participants.

The journal may request ethics letters, consent documents, protocols or supporting explanations. Research that fails to meet acceptable ethical standards may be rejected, corrected or retracted.