Research Ethics and Informed Consent

Clinical Medicine and Pharmacology requires research involving people, their health information or biological materials to protect participants’ dignity, rights, welfare and privacy. Scientific interest does not justify a study whose ethical basis is inadequate. The journal applies the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki as revised in 2024, together with the relevant local requirements and other standards appropriate to the research.

Prior review and transparent reporting

Authors report the name of the independent research ethics committee, the approval identifier where issued and the date of approval. Approval must cover the procedures and populations actually studied. Amendments should be approved as required before the changed procedures are implemented. If review was waived or the activity was formally determined to be exempt, the manuscript identifies the responsible body and explains the basis. Authors may be asked for documentary evidence through a confidential channel; a statement that approval was unnecessary without an adequate reason is insufficient.

Participation consent and vulnerability

The manuscript describes how consent to participate was obtained, or identifies an authorised waiver and its conditions. Research involving children, adults with impaired decision making capacity, emergency circumstances or other vulnerable situations requires the safeguards appropriate to that context, including legally authorised permission and assent where applicable. Recruitment in a clinical relationship should address the possibility that patients may feel treatment depends on participation. A signature alone does not demonstrate that information was understood or participation was voluntary.

Consent for identifiable publication

Consent to treatment or to participate in research does not automatically permit publication of an identifiable case, photograph, scan, pedigree, voice recording or other personal information. Authors must obtain explicit written consent for publication when a person may reasonably be recognised. They explain the online and open access nature of publication and should allow the individual or authorised representative to see the relevant material. Masking eyes or removing a name may leave someone identifiable. If appropriate consent cannot be obtained, the author must not assume that scientific interest overrides privacy.

Records and secure submission

Patient names, hospital numbers, exact identifying dates and embedded image metadata should be removed unless essential and explicitly authorised. Consent forms and identifiable medical records are not routine public supplementary files. Authors retain the original documentation securely and provide confirmation or limited evidence when requested. The journal may decline material whose confidentiality cannot be protected, even if an author believes it has been anonymised.

Clinical trials and health interventions

Prospective clinical trials require suitable registration no later than the first participant’s consent to enrolment, as explained in Clinical Trial Registration and Data Sharing. Authors should report the planned benefits, risks, monitoring arrangements and relevant changes to the protocol. Registration and ethics approval are separate safeguards and neither substitutes for the other. Reviews and secondary analyses must also respect conditions attached to the source data.

Animals biological materials and local responsibilities

Animal studies must have the required prior review or documented exemption and describe the species, husbandry, welfare measures, humane endpoints and steps to replace, reduce and refine animal use. Reporting follows ARRIVE 2.0 where applicable. Work involving human tissue, genetic resources or other regulated materials states their provenance and the necessary permissions. Appropriate reporting standards do not themselves constitute ethical approval.

Editorial response

Editors may seek clarification, independent ethics advice or confirmation from the responsible institution. A doubtful approval document, missing consent or a serious welfare concern may lead to a pause, rejection or postpublication action. CMP does not issue retrospective research approval. Authors and readers should report ethical concerns promptly; matters involving immediate patient risk receive priority assessment. Questions or supporting documents should be sent through the CMP editorial office at cmpeditorialoffice@jandoopress.com, identifying the manuscript number or article DOI where available.

Last updated: 17 September 2026