The Journal of Keloid Research is committed to protecting the rights, privacy, dignity, and confidentiality of patients and research participants.
Research Involving Human Participants
For research involving human participants, authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained when required by the appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB), Research Ethics Committee, or equivalent authority and by applicable laws and regulations.
The manuscript should include a statement indicating that informed consent was obtained from study participants or their legally authorized representatives, as applicable.
If informed consent was waived by an IRB, Research Ethics Committee, or equivalent authority, the manuscript must state that a waiver was granted and identify the approving authority.
Minors and Individuals Unable to Provide Consent
For research involving minors or individuals who cannot provide legally valid consent, consent must be obtained from a parent, legal guardian, or legally authorized representative, as required by applicable regulations. Assent from the participant should also be obtained when appropriate.
Case Reports and Clinical Photographs
Because clinical photographs are frequently important in keloid research and treatment, particular attention must be given to patient privacy.
Authors must obtain appropriate consent for publication when a patient may be identifiable from photographs, clinical descriptions, medical history, or other information included in a manuscript.
Removing a patient’s name or other direct identifiers does not eliminate the requirement for consent when the individual could reasonably be recognized from the published material.
Patient Confidentiality
Authors must protect patient confidentiality and should not include names, initials, medical record numbers, dates, or other identifying information unless scientifically necessary and specifically authorized for publication.
Author Responsibility
Authors are responsible for obtaining and maintaining all required informed-consent documentation. The Journal of Keloid Research may request confirmation or documentation of informed consent during the editorial review process.
Submission of a manuscript constitutes confirmation by the authors that all applicable requirements regarding informed consent, patient privacy, and consent for publication have been satisfied.
