Bangladesh Journal of Infectious Diseases follows the research ethics policy of International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Protection of Research Participants. All investigators should ensure that the planning, conduct, and reporting of human research are in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration as revised in 2013. All authors should seek approval to conduct research from an independent local, regional or national review body (e.g., ethics committee, institutional review board). In the absence of such a formal ethics review committee, the Helsinki Declaration as revised in 2013 and/or the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, as adopted and promulgated by the United States National Institutes of Health, must be followed. If doubt exists whether the research was conducted in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration, the authors must explain the rationale for their approach and demonstrate that the local, regional or national review body explicitly approved the doubtful aspects of the study. Approval by a responsible review body does not preclude editors from forming their own judgment whether the conduct of the research was appropriate. In case of any study involving clinical trial, taking of informed consent of patients is mandatory. Whenever editorial committee of BJID feels necessary, the research paper will be referred to the Research Ethic Committee of Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC) for its evaluation and approval.
Authors should provide evidence that research has adhered to national standards for research practices (in human and animal studies). Authors should provide evidence that studies have been approved by relevant bodies, the relevant research ethics committee or institutional review board, e.g. institutional review board, research ethics committee, data and safety monitoring board, and regulatory authorities including those overseeing animal experiments.
If human participants were involved manuscripts must be accompanied by a statement that the experiments were undertaken with the understanding and appropriate informed consent of each. If experimental animals were used the materials and methods (experimental procedures) section must clearly indicate that appropriate measures were taken to minimize pain or discomfort, and details of animal care should be provided. Editors should encourage peer reviewers to consider ethical issues raised by the research they are reviewing. Editors should request additional information from authors if they feel this is required. Editors reserve the right to reject manuscripts if there is doubt whether appropriate procedures have been followed. If a manuscript has been submitted from a country where there is no ethics committee, institutional review board, or similar review and approval, editors should use their own experience to judge whether the manuscripts should be published. If the decision is made to publish a manuscript under these circumstances, a short statement should be included to explain the situation. It is crucial for all researchers to ensure that their human research complies with the Helsinki Declaration, revised in 2024.
Authors must obtain approval from an independent review body before conducting research, such as an ethics committee, and be ready to provide documentation upon request by editors. If there is uncertainty about adherence to the Helsinki Declaration, authors must clarify their approach and demonstrate approval by the review body for any questionable aspects of the study. Even with approval from a review body, editors retain the right to assess the research's appropriateness. Patients have the right to privacy, which should not be breached without informed consent. Personal information like names or hospital numbers should not be disclosed unless necessary for scientific reasons and with the patient's written consent. Patients should be made aware if their identifiable information might be accessible online or in print after publication. Written patient consent should be stored according to local laws, and journals should establish their own policies regarding patient confidentiality. Unnecessary identifying details should be excluded, and consent should be obtained if maintaining anonymity is uncertain. Simply covering the eyes in patient photographs is not enough to protect anonymity. Authors must ensure that deidentified information does not alter the scientific content, which editors should acknowledge. Journals should include the requirement for informed consent in their author guidelines, and when obtained, it should be noted in the published article. Authors reporting animal experiments should specify if they followed institutional and national guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals. Bangladesh Journal of Infectious Diseases follows the ICJME instructions.
Cell line research
Methods sections for submissions reporting on research with cell lines should state the origin of any cell lines. For established cell lines, the provenance should be stated and references must also be given to either a published paper or to a commercial source. If previously unpublished de novo cell lines were used, including those gifted from another laboratory, details of institutional review board or ethics committee approval must be given, and confirmation of written informed consent must be provided if the line is of human origin.
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