Human and Animal Rights Statement - Informed consent

Abstract

All authors should seek approval to conduct research involving human or animal subjects from an independent local, regional, or national review body (e.g., ethics committee, institutional review board). They 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. Patients have a right to privacy that should not be violated without informed consent. When informed consent has been obtained, it should be indicated in the published article.