The Global Journal of Dental Specialty (GJDS) is committed to protecting the rights, dignity, safety, and welfare of human participants and animals involved in research. The journal follows the ethical principles and recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Declaration of Helsinki, and other internationally recognized ethical standards. Manuscripts that fail to comply with these requirements may be rejected at any stage of the editorial or publication process.

1. Human Subjects Research

Research involving human participants must:

• Obtain prior approval from a recognized Institutional Review Board (IRB), Ethics Committee, or equivalent regulatory authority.

• Be conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and applicable national regulations.

• Include the name of the approving ethics committee and approval number, where applicable.

• Ensure that the rights, dignity, privacy, and well-being of all participants are protected throughout the study.

• Include an ethics approval statement within the manuscript.

2. Informed Consent

Authors must ensure that:

• Written informed consent is obtained from all participants before enrollment in the study.

• Consent is obtained from parents or legal guardians for minors or individuals unable to provide informed consent.

• Participants are informed about the purpose, procedures, potential risks, and expected benefits of the research.

• Documentation of informed consent is maintained and made available upon reasonable request.

3. Privacy and Confidentiality

Authors are responsible for protecting participant privacy by:

• Removing personal identifiers from manuscripts whenever possible.

• Publishing identifiable photographs or clinical information only after obtaining explicit written consent.

• Maintaining the confidentiality of participant information throughout the research and publication process.

• Complying with applicable data protection and privacy regulations.

4. Animal Research

Research involving animals must:

• Receive prior approval from an appropriate Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or equivalent ethics committee.

• Follow internationally recognized guidelines for the ethical care and use of laboratory animals.

• Minimize pain, distress, and unnecessary suffering throughout the study.

• Use the minimum number of animals necessary to achieve valid scientific objectives.

• Include an animal ethics approval statement within the manuscript.

5. Ethical Conduct of Research

Authors must ensure that:

• Human and animal research is conducted responsibly and ethically.

• Research methods do not expose participants or animals to unnecessary risk.

• Ethical standards are maintained throughout study design, implementation, analysis, and reporting.

• Any protocol deviations affecting participant or animal welfare are appropriately documented and justified.

6. Editorial Assessment

During editorial evaluation, the journal may request:

• Ethics committee approval documents.

• Evidence of informed consent.

• Animal ethics approval documentation.

• Additional information regarding ethical safeguards implemented during the study.

Failure to provide satisfactory documentation may result in rejection of the manuscript.

7. Non-Compliance

The journal reserves the right to reject, suspend, or retract manuscripts if:

• Ethical approval was not obtained where required.

• Informed consent requirements have not been fulfilled.

• Human participant rights have been violated.

• Animal welfare standards have not been followed.

• Ethical statements are false, incomplete, or misleading.

• The research fails to comply with internationally accepted ethical standards.

8. Compliance with International Standards

The journal expects all submitted research involving human participants or animals to comply with:

• ICMJE Recommendations for Ethical Conduct and Reporting of Research.

• COPE Core Practices and ethical guidance.

• The Declaration of Helsinki for research involving human participants.

• Applicable national and institutional ethical regulations.

• International best practices for responsible research involving humans and animals.

These requirements are intended to ensure that all published research upholds the highest standards of ethics, integrity, participant protection, and scientific responsibility.