18. Ethical Approval & Informed Consent

The Pakistan Journal of Gastroenterology (PJG) is committed to promoting ethical research and responsible scientific publishing. All research involving human participants, human biological materials, identifiable patient information, or animals must be conducted in accordance with internationally accepted ethical principles and applicable national regulations.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all necessary ethical approvals and participant protections have been obtained before commencing the study.

18.1 Ethical Approval

Research involving human participants must receive prior approval from a recognized Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Research Ethics Committee (REC).

Authors must provide the following information within the manuscript:

Name of the approving institution.
Name of the Ethics Committee or IRB.
Approval or reference number.
Date of ethical approval.

A copy of the IRB or Ethics Committee approval letter must be uploaded during manuscript submission.

The Editorial Office reserves the right to request additional documentation to verify ethical approval where necessary.

18.2 Human Participants

Research involving human participants must be conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and applicable institutional and national guidelines.

Authors should ensure that the rights, dignity, privacy, and safety of all participants are protected throughout the study.

18.3 Informed Consent

Written informed consent must be obtained from all participants before enrolment in the study.

For participants who are minors or unable to provide informed consent, written consent must be obtained from a parent, legal guardian, or legally authorized representative.

Authors should include a statement within the manuscript confirming that informed consent was obtained.

18.4 Patient Privacy and Confidentiality

Authors must protect the privacy and confidentiality of all study participants.

Personal identifiers, including names, initials, hospital numbers, photographs, videos, or other identifying information, must not be published unless essential for scientific purposes and written consent for publication has been obtained.

Every effort should be made to preserve patient anonymity.

18.5 Case Reports

For Case Reports, authors must obtain written informed consent from the patient or the patient's legal guardian before submission.

If images or clinical information could potentially identify the patient, explicit written permission for publication must also be obtained.

The Editorial Office may request a copy of the signed consent form if required.

18.6 Animal Research

Studies involving animals must comply with internationally accepted guidelines for the ethical care and use of laboratory animals.

Authors should state:

The name of the approving Animal Ethics Committee.
Approval number (where applicable).
Confirmation that animal welfare regulations were followed.

Animal studies should be designed to minimize pain, distress, and unnecessary suffering.

18.7 Clinical Trial Registration

Prospective clinical trials should be registered in a publicly accessible clinical trial registry before participant enrolment.

Authors should provide:

Registry name.
Registration number.
Registration date.

18.8 Editorial Responsibility

The Editorial Office reserves the right to request additional ethical documentation at any stage of the editorial or peer review process.

Failure to provide satisfactory evidence of ethical approval or informed consent may result in rejection of the manuscript.

Notes

Ethical approval is mandatory for studies involving human participants unless an exemption has been granted by the relevant ethics committee.
Written informed consent should be obtained before collecting participant data.
Patient confidentiality must always be protected.
Ethical standards apply equally to clinical, observational, laboratory, and animal research where applicable.

Editorial Tip

Compliance with ethical requirements protects research participants, strengthens the credibility of published research, and reflects the journal's commitment to the highest standards of research integrity and responsible scientific publishing.