Research ethics Policy

Human Participant Research

Any study involving human participants — including surveys, interviews, clinical assessments, or secondary analysis of identifiable data — must meet the following before submission:

• Approval from an appropriate institutional review board (IRB) or research ethics committee, with the approval reference number stated in the Methods section of the manuscript.
• Confirmation that informed consent was obtained from all participants, or from a parent/legal guardian where participants are minors or otherwise unable to provide consent themselves.
• For studies involving vulnerable populations (e.g., individuals in psychiatric crisis, minors, cognitively impaired participants), a description of the additional safeguards used to protect participant welfare.

Manuscripts lacking these declarations will be returned to the author before entering peer review.

Case Reports and Identifiable Information

Given the clinical nature of much psychosocial rehabilitation scholarship, IJPR applies particular care to case-based submissions:

• Any manuscript including identifiable case details, direct quotations from a specific patient/client, or images must explicitly state whether the individual's informed consent to publish was obtained.
• Where such consent was not obtained, all identifying details (names, exact dates, specific locations, unique circumstances) must be altered or removed so the individual cannot reasonably be identified, while preserving the clinical/scientific value of the case.
• Composite cases (combining details from multiple individuals) should be clearly identified as such.

Animal Research

Studies involving animal subjects must comply with relevant institutional and national guidelines for the ethical treatment of animals (e.g., IACUC approval or equivalent), and this compliance must be explicitly stated in the manuscript, including the approving body and reference number.

Data Protection in Research

Researchers must ensure that participant data is collected, stored, and reported in a manner consistent with applicable data protection law and their institution's data governance requirements. See also the Data Availability Policy and the Privacy Policy.

Non-Compliant Submissions

Manuscripts that raise credible ethical concerns — for example, evidence of research conducted without appropriate approval, or without verifiable consent — will not proceed through peer review and may be referred for further inquiry under the Publication Ethics and Misconduct Policy.