Use of Experimental Subjects Policy

IOS Press supports the responsible and appropriate use of experimental subjects in all our publications.

Human subjects

Experiments involving human subjects must conform with the Declaration of Helsinki and be approved by a local Institutional Review Board. Compliance with the former and approval by the latter, including the approval number, must be provided in the Methods section or in a separate section at the end of the article.

Informed consent

Participants have a right to privacy that should not be infringed without informed consent. Identifying information, including participants' names, initials, or hospital numbers, should not be published in written descriptions, photographs, and pedigrees unless the information is essential for scientific purposes and the participant (or parent or guardian) gives written informed consent for publication. Informed consent for this purpose requires that a participant who is identifiable should be shown the manuscript before it is published.

When informed consent has been obtained, it should be indicated in the Methods section or in a separate section at the end of the article.

Animal subjects

When experimental animals are used, the Methods section must briefly but explicitly state measures that were taken to minimize pain or discomfort, e.g., type and dose of anesthetic used. Experiments should be carried out in accordance with the European Communities Council Directive of 24 November 1986 (86/609/EEC) or the Guidelines by the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare regarding the care and use of animals for experimental procedures.

Ethical considerations, compliance, and protocol approval

Compliance with guidelines on the use of experimental subjects as well as protocol approval by a local Institutional Review Board should be stated and the approval number should be provided, either in the Methods section or in a separate section at the end of the article. Clinical trials should always include the registration number. Studies involving human subjects who are exempt from approval by an Institutional Review Board should state this either in the Methods section or in a separate section at the end of the article.

All studies using human or animal subjects should include an explicit statement in the Methods section identifying the review and approval committee for each study. Editors reserve the right to reject papers if there is doubt whether appropriate procedures have been used.

We are committed to upholding the integrity of all our publications and provide information about the standards of ethical behavior expected from all parties involved in our Ethics Policy.

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