Human and Animal Rights Policy

The International Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Research (IJAER) is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in research, particularly concerning human and animal rights. This policy outlines our expectations for authors conducting research involving human participants or animals.

Research Involving Human Subjects

  1. Ethical Approval: All research involving human subjects must receive ethical approval from a recognized institutional review board (IRB) or ethics committee before data collection begins. Authors must include evidence of approval in their submissions.
  2. Informed Consent: Researchers must obtain informed consent from all participants. This consent should be documented and should include information about the study’s purpose, procedures, risks, benefits, and the right to withdraw at any time without penalty.
  3. Confidentiality: Researchers are required to maintain the confidentiality of participants’ data. Identifiable information should be removed or anonymized in published results to protect participants’ privacy.
  4. Vulnerability Considerations: Special care must be taken when researching vulnerable populations (e.g., children, marginalized groups). Authors must justify their research design and demonstrate that it minimizes potential harm.

Research Involving Animals

  1. Ethical Approval: Research involving animals must also receive approval from an appropriate ethics committee or institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC). Evidence of such approval should be included in the submission.
  2. Humane Treatment: Researchers must ensure that all animal subjects are treated humanely and in accordance with established guidelines (e.g., the 3Rs: Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement).
  3. Minimizing Harm: The research design should minimize potential pain, distress, and suffering to animals. Justification for the use of animals must be clearly stated, including the necessity for animal subjects and the expected benefits of the research.
  4. Reporting: Authors should transparently report the methods used to care for and use animals in their research, including details on housing, feeding, and veterinary care.

Compliance and Accountability

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research complies with all relevant laws, regulations, and ethical guidelines pertaining to human and animal rights. Non-compliance may result in rejection of the manuscript or retraction of published work.

IJAER values the ethical conduct of research and the well-being of human participants and animals. We encourage researchers to prioritize ethical considerations in their work, contributing to the integrity and credibility of agricultural and environmental research.

For any questions or clarifications regarding this policy, please contact the editorial office at info@ijaer.in.