Informed Consent

Policy & Governance Review is deeply committed to respecting the dignity, autonomy, privacy, and rights of all human participants involved in research. We follow the ethical standards outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki and the recommendations of the ICMJE to ensure that research involving human subjects, personal data, images, or biological materials upholds the highest levels of ethical integrity.

Key Principles of Informed Consent
Participants have the fundamental right to decide how their personal information, biological materials, statements, or images are used in research and publications. Authors must ensure that:

  1. Explicit informed consent is obtained prior to the collection, analysis, and publication of identifiable data, including personal narratives, interviews, images, or case details.

  2. Privacy and confidentiality are safeguarded, particularly when working with vulnerable groups such as minors, individuals with cognitive impairments, refugees, or patients.

  3. Participants are clearly informed about the purpose, risks, benefits, and voluntary nature of their participation, including their right to withdraw at any point without penalty.

Data Protection, Confidentiality, and Privacy
As part of the informed consent process, participants must be informed about:

  1. What personal or sensitive data will be collected and processed.

  2. How the data will be stored, secured, and used.

  3. The purpose of the data collection, including any plans for sharing, archiving, or publishing the data.

Authors must adhere to local, national, and institutional data protection standards, ensuring that confidentiality and participant rights are rigorously protected.

Consent to Participate
For all research involving human subjects, authors must confirm that:

  1. Informed, voluntary consent was obtained from all participants;

  2. For minors under 16 years, or participants lacking decision-making capacity, consent was obtained from a parent or legally authorized guardian;

  3. For studies involving sensitive materials (e.g., organ or tissue transplantation), no materials were obtained from prisoners, and the names of supplying institutions are clearly disclosed.

A clear statement confirming informed consent to participate must appear in the manuscript, typically within the Declarations section.

Consent to Publish
Authors must also secure explicit consent for publication when:

  1. Publishing case reports, personal narratives, or individual-level data;

  2. Including photographs, videos, or multimedia that could reveal participant identities.

It is critical to distinguish between consent to participate and consent to publish; participants may agree to take part in a study but decline to have their data or images published. Both forms of consent must be independently obtained and documented.

Summary of Requirements
Authors should include the following declarations in their manuscript before the reference list:

  1. Consent to Participate:

    Example: “Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.”

    Example (for minors): “Written informed consent was obtained from the parents or legal guardians.”

  2. Consent to Publish:

    Example: “Participants provided informed consent for the publication of their data and images.”

    Example (if identifying details are included): “Additional informed consent was obtained for publication of identifying information.”

If any section is not applicable, authors should still include the heading and write “Not applicable.”

Compliance and Editorial Oversight
Authors are fully responsible for the accuracy and completeness of their consent statements. Policy & Governance Review reserves the right to:

  1. Request copies of consent forms, ethics approvals, or related documentation during the editorial process.

  2. Reject or withdraw manuscripts that do not meet informed consent standards.

  3. Remove or retract content if post-publication concerns arise regarding inadequate or missing consent, replacing it with a formal notice explaining the reason for removal.

This policy ensures that Policy & Governance Review upholds international ethical standards and protects the rights, dignity, and privacy of all research participants.