Ethical Approvals and Informed Consent

IAJAVS holds research involving animals and people to high ethical standards. This page sets out exactly what authors need to confirm and include.

Research Involving Animals

For any study using animals, authors must confirm that:

• The work followed institutional, national or international animal welfare rules, such as CCSEA requirements in India or the equivalent elsewhere
• It was approved by an Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC) or equivalent body, named in the manuscript together with the approval reference number
• Every reasonable step was taken to minimise suffering and use the fewest animals needed for valid results

Routine husbandry or on-farm observational studies that did not need committee approval must say so and explain why.

Veterinary Case Reports and Client-Owned Animals

Case reports and clinical studies on client-owned animals must state that the owner gave informed consent for treatment and for publication.

Research Involving People

For surveys, interviews or studies involving farmers, animal handlers or other people, authors must confirm that:

• The study followed the ethical principles of the current revision of the Declaration of Helsinki
• It was approved by an appropriate ethics committee, named in the manuscript with the approval reference, or that the committee formally waived approval
• Informed consent was obtained from every participant
• Participants' confidentiality and privacy were protected throughout

Field Work and Permits

Where work involved collecting wild species, genetic resources or samples across borders, authors should state the relevant permits and compliance with the Nagoya Protocol and national biodiversity rules.

Non-Compliance

Manuscripts missing the required ethics and consent statements are returned to the authors before peer review. IAJAVS may reject or retract an article at any stage if serious ethical concerns come to light, in line with COPE guidance.