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Informed Consent
Consent and already available data and/or biologic material
Data protection, Confidentiality and Privacy
Consent to Participate
Consent to Publish
Every person has unique rights that should not be violated. For example, each study participant has the right to control what happens to their own (identified) personal data collected, to the things they say in research or interviews, and to any photos that are taken. This is particularly true when it comes to photos of individuals who are vulnerable (such as children, sick, refugees, etc.) or when images are used in delicate situations. Before including photographs, authors frequently have to get formal approval. Unless the information is necessary for academic purposes and the participant (or parent/guardian if the participant is a minor or incapable or legal representative) gave written informed consent for publication, biometrical characteristics (such as facial features, fingerprints, writing styles, voice patterns, DNA, or other distinguishing characteristic) and other information about the participants that were studied should not be published in written descriptions, photographs, and genetic profiles. Sometimes it's hard to be completely anonymous. Individual participants' identities may be revealed if their full bodies or specific body parts are described in detail. In certain cases, consent is not needed as long as the data is anonymised and the submission excludes any pictures that may be used to identify the individual. If there is any uncertainty, informed consent for publishing needs to be acquired. For instance, participants' photos where the eye area is hidden are not sufficiently protecting their confidentiality. Authors should guarantee that any changes made to distinguishing traits, including those in genetic profiles, do not change the meaning of the original information.
There are certain exceptions to the rule that need consent:
- Pictures such x-rays, laparoscopy, ultrasound, brain scans, and pathology slides—unless providing identifiable information is a problem, in which case the authors should make sure consent is acquired.
- Reusing photos: The Publisher will presume that if photographs are being used again from earlier publications, the earlier publication had the necessary consent. When authors reprint photographs, they must give proper credit.
Consent and already available data and/or biologic material
Patients (or their family members, in the event that the deceased has not taken a pre-mortem choice) must have provided prior written consent, whether or not material is gathered from live or deceased patients. It is important to honor the deceased's desires and the element of confidentiality.
Data protection, Confidentiality and Privacy
As an aspect of the informed consent process, authors should make sure that participants are informed about the types of (personal) data that will be handled, how they will be used, and why they are being used when biological material is contributed or data is created for a research study. When data is obtained through a biobank or biorepository, it is conceivable that they may utilize a wide consent policy, which permits research subjects to provide their assent for a variety of uses of their samples and data. Research ethics committees view this policy as sufficiently detailed to qualify as "informed." To be sure that this is the case, writers should always verify the particular policies of the biobanks, biorepositories, or any other kind of data source (in the case of non-bio research).
In any research that involves human beings, participants (or, in the case of minors under 16, their parent or legal guardian) must provide their free and informed permission to participate in the study, and the paper must include a statement to that effect.
When writing about human transplantation research, writers are required to clarify that no organs or tissues were taken from inmates and to identify the institution(s), clinic(s), or department(s) from where the organs or tissues were received.
The editor will use particular caution and may submit submissions reporting research involving vulnerable populations to the Springer Nature Research Integrity Group if there is a possibility of coercion or if agreement may not have been given voluntarily.
People may agree to take part in a study, but they may disagree to having their information used in a journal paper. Before submitting their work to a publication, authors should make sure they have the permission of the subjects to have their data published. This is especially relevant to case studies.