Ethical Aspects
Research and publication ethics constitute a fundamental pillar for ensuring the validity, reliability, and impact of knowledge in health sciences. It is essential to establish guidelines aligned with international standards in order to promote good scientific practices, protect research participants, and ensure the integrity of the editorial process.
Regulatory framework and international standards
Ethical policies are based on internationally recognized regulations and organizations, including the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Council of Science Editors (CSE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). Likewise, the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki, the guidelines of the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS), and current national regulations, such as the Peruvian Clinical Trials Regulation, are considered.
Ethics in research involving human subjects
One of the central aspects is the protection of research participants. Any research involving human subjects, identifiable data, or biological material must receive approval from a Research Ethics Committee, as well as informed consent from participants. This approval must be documented and declared in the manuscript, including the name of the committee and the date of approval.
In addition, compliance with specific ethical standards for vulnerable populations is required, as well as the protection of privacy through the omission of data that may allow participant identification. In the case of minors, consent must be provided by parents or legal guardians.
Studies eligible for expedited ethical review
Not all research studies require full ethical approval and may qualify for expedited review. Exempt studies include those using publicly available secondary databases, systematic reviews, bibliometric studies, evaluations of public health programs, or research conducted within the context of epidemiological surveillance and public health emergencies. However, even in these cases, the exemption status must be explicitly declared in the manuscript.
Study registration and clinical trials
The journal Ciencia y Tecnología aplicada a la Salud Pública promotes transparency through the mandatory registration of clinical trials in recognized platforms, such as the Peruvian Clinical Trials Registry (REPEC) or the World Health Organization’s International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP). Likewise, research related to priority topics such as tuberculosis or COVID-19 must be registered in national platforms such as PRISA.
Ethics in animal research
Experimental studies involving animals must comply with international standards such as the ARRIVE guidelines and obtain approval from the corresponding ethics committee. These standards aim to ensure animal welfare and the responsible use of experimental models.
Scientific integrity and misconduct
The journal Ciencia y Tecnología aplicada a la Salud Pública establishes strict mechanisms to prevent and sanction scientific misconduct. The main forms of misconduct include:
- Data fabrication or falsification
- Plagiarism and self-plagiarism
- Duplicate or fragmented publication
- Improper authorship (ghost or gift authorship)
- Failure to disclose conflicts of interest
- Image manipulation
- Premature or sensationalized publication of results
These practices undermine the credibility of research and may result in manuscript rejection or article retraction, as well as notification to academic institutions and relevant authorities.
Publication ethics and the editorial role
The journal Ciencia y Tecnología aplicada a la Salud Pública follows COPE recommendations for managing ethical misconduct, including investigation procedures, opportunities for author response, and the application of proportional sanctions. Likewise, the journal ensures editorial impartiality by preventing conflicts of interest in decision-making processes.
An important aspect is that editors may publish in their own journals, but they are excluded from the editorial process concerning their own manuscripts, thereby ensuring transparency and avoiding bias.
Conflicts of interest and transparency
The disclosure of conflicts of interest is a mandatory requirement for authors, reviewers, and editors. This practice makes it possible to identify potential influences that could affect the objectivity of the scientific process. Transparency in this regard strengthens confidence in published results.
Copyright and intellectual property
The journal Ciencia y Tecnología aplicada a la Salud Pública establishes copyright agreements that allow authors to retain ownership of their work, while the journal maintains publication and dissemination rights. This balance promotes the protection of intellectual property and the dissemination of scientific knowledge.
Use of quality control tools
The use of similarity detection software prior to publication is recommended, with established limits, in order to prevent plagiarism and improve manuscript quality. This process contributes to strengthening scientific integrity from the pre-submission stage.
