The Heart and Health Foundation of Turkey considers the assurance of scientific integrity, research transparency, and ethics-based publishing as a core responsibility in its official journal. This policy outlines our framework regarding research involving human and animal subjects, clinical trials, the use of sensitive data, and ethical reporting standards.
Human Subject Research
Studies involving human participants must adhere to universal ethical standards, primarily the Declaration of Helsinki (2024 version). Accordingly, manuscripts to be published in our journal must fulfill the following minimum requirements:
- Ethics committee approval must be obtained prior to the commencement of the study. The name of the committee, approval number, and date must be clearly stated in the “Methods” section of the manuscript.
- Informed consent must be obtained from all participants. Consent must cover both participation and the publication of identifiable data (e.g., photographs, case details).
- For individuals under the age of 18, written consent must be obtained from parents or legal guardians.
- When involving vulnerable populations (e.g., psychiatric patients, prisoners, migrants), the principles of voluntariness and ethical justification must be clearly described.
- Participant privacy and confidentiality must be preserved throughout the entire process. Identifiable information should only be published with explicit consent and under justified circumstances.
Animal Research
Full adherence to ethical principles is essential in studies involving animals. Manuscripts submitted to our journal must meet the following standards:
- Studies must be approved by a competent animal ethics committee.
- Ethics approval details must be clearly reported in the manuscript.
- The 3Rs principle (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) should be carefully considered.
- International guidelines (e.g., Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, EU Directive 2010/63/EU) must be followed.
- Detailed information in compliance with ARRIVE reporting standards (housing conditions, experimental procedures, welfare measures, statistical methods) should be provided.
Clinical Trial Registration
To promote transparency, the Heart and Health Foundation of Turkey requires that clinical trials be registered in publicly accessible databases (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov, EU Clinical Trials Register) before initiation. The registration number should be explicitly stated in the manuscript, preferably in the abstract. If the trial was registered retrospectively, a justified explanation must be provided. Additionally, such studies must be reported in accordance with CONSORT guidelines.
Neutral and Inclusive Language
Our journal supports the use of neutral, respectful, and inclusive language in all published works. Authors are expected to use careful terminology related to gender, age, ethnicity, disability, socioeconomic status, and similar areas. The SAGER guidelines may serve as a key reference in gender and sex reporting.
Ethical Misconduct and Investigation
Cases such as plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, unethical methods, or failure to obtain necessary approvals are evaluated in accordance with COPE guidelines. In such cases:
- The manuscript may be rejected or retracted,
- The authors’ affiliated institution may be notified,
- A correction, clarification, or notice of concern may be published.
Editorial and Peer Review Responsibilities
The editorial board and peer reviewers of our journal are expected to rigorously assess the ethical compliance of submitted manuscripts and request clarification or additional documentation in suspicious cases. All processes must be conducted with impartiality and confidentiality.
Compliance and Responsibility
The Heart and Health Foundation of Turkey is committed to fostering a trustworthy and ethically grounded academic publishing environment that respects human and animal rights. This policy represents binding minimum standards for the journal published by the Association.
For more information, please contact the editorial offices at:
Journal of Updates in Cardiovascular Medicine: https://www.jucvm.com/contact-us