سياسة الموافقة المستنيرة

1. Purpose

This Policy establishes Qurina Scientific Journal (QSJ)’s requirements for obtaining, documenting, and reporting informed consent in research involving human participants, including studies, case reports, and the use of personal data, images, or other identifiable materials. The Journal is committed to safeguarding the dignity, rights, and privacy of research participants.

2. General Principles

2.1 Informed consent is a fundamental ethical requirement in research involving human participants.

2.2 Authors must confirm that consent was obtained freely, prior to participation, and based on adequate disclosure of the nature, purpose, risks, and benefits of the research.

2.3 Special consideration must be given to vulnerable populations, including minors, persons with impaired decision-making capacity, and other groups requiring legal or surrogate consent.

3. Consent in Research Studies

3.1 Authors must provide a statement in the manuscript affirming that informed consent was obtained from all participants or their legal guardians.

3.2 Where applicable, authors must confirm approval by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Research Ethics Committee (REC).

3.3 Documentation of consent need not be submitted with the manuscript but must be retained by the authors and made available to the Editor upon request.

4. Consent for Case Reports and Identifiable Data

4.1 For case reports, clinical images, or any data that may directly or indirectly identify an individual, authors must obtain explicit written consent for publication from the participant or their legal guardian.

4.2 If identifying details are altered to protect anonymity, authors must ensure that such modifications do not distort scientific meaning.

4.3 If consent cannot be obtained (e.g., deceased individuals), publication will only be considered where the information is of significant public interest and approved by the Editorial Board, with appropriate safeguards applied.

5. Privacy and Confidentiality

5.1 Authors must take all reasonable steps to protect the privacy and confidentiality of participants.

5.2 Identifiable information shall only be published when scientifically necessary, ethically justified, and accompanied by documented consent.

6. Editorial Oversight

6.1 The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board are responsible for ensuring compliance with this Policy.

6.2 Manuscripts that fail to meet consent requirements will be rejected or withdrawn.

6.3 Qurina Scientific Journal (QSJ) reserves the right to request copies of consent forms or ethics approvals at any stage of the review or publication process.

7. Non-Compliance and Sanctions

7.1 Failure to comply with this Policy may result in rejection of the manuscript, retraction of published articles, and notification of the authors’ institutions or ethics committees.

7.2 Qurina Scientific Journal (QSJ) will act in accordance with COPE’s Guidelines on Ethical Oversight when addressing issues related to informed consent.