Conflict of interest, human and animal rights, and informed consent

Conflicts of Interest / Competing Interests

All authors are required to disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest related to the submitted manuscript. This includes affiliations with organizations, financial interests, sponsorships, or involvement with products or services that could influence the interpretation of the research findings.

Disclosure of conflicts ensures transparency and allows readers to assess the objectivity of the work. If no conflicts exist, authors must explicitly state:
“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

 Human and Animal Rights

Research Involving Human Participants

• Ethics Approval:
  All studies involving human participants must receive prior approval from an accredited Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC)or Institutional Review Board (IRB). The name and approval reference number of the ethics body must be stated in the manuscript.
• Informed Consent:
  Voluntary, informed consent must be obtained from all participants, with clear information about the study's objectives, procedures, potential risks, benefits, and data confidentiality.
• Privacy and Confidentiality:
  All identifying personal data must be anonymized. For any identifiable patient data (images, case details, etc.), explicit written consent for publication must be obtained and documented.

Research Involving Animals

• Ethics Approval:
  Research involving animal subjects must be approved by an Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC)or equivalent authority. The approval letter or protocol ID must be cited in the manuscript.
• Humane Treatment:
  All procedures must adhere to humane treatment standards, minimizing pain and distress. The principles of Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement (3Rs)must be observed.
• Guideline Compliance:
  Authors must confirm compliance with national or international animal welfare standards such as the Animal Welfare Actor OECD Guidelines.

 Informed Consent

• Requirement:
  All studies involving human subjects must be supported by documented informed consentfrom participants and ethics committee approval.
• Content of Disclosure:
  Participants should be informed about:
  • The nature and objectives of the study
  • Potential risks and benefits
  • Data protection measures
  • Their right to withdraw at any stage
• Special Populations:
  When the study involves minors, cognitively impaired individuals, or other vulnerable groups, appropriate legal guardian consentmust also be obtained.
• Publication Consent:
  When submitting case reports, clinical images, or identifiable data, authors must obtain and retain a signed publication consent formfrom the subject (or guardian). This must be confirmed in the article and made available to editors upon request.

 Editorial Oversight

• TAIJA editors will review all manuscripts for ethical compliance related to human and animal studies.
• Manuscripts lacking proper ethics approval or informed consent documentation will be returned, delayed, or rejected.
• Ethical misconduct will be addressed according to COPE guidelines.