Informed Consent Policy

Based on the ideas expressed in the Declaration of Helsinki's 1964 and its subsequent revisions, or equivalent ethical norms, SvedbergOpen Journals upholds the highest ethical standards and respects the rights of participants. This policy guarantees that all human subjects included in research projects have given their free and informed consent to take part in the study after being fully informed about its purpose, possible risks, rewards, and participant rights.

Requirements for Informed Consent

Every research subject must give their informed consent to the researchers. This permission ought to be freely granted when the subject has been made fully aware of their engagement in the study.

The consent procedure should contain a detailed explanation of the research objectives, the methods that will be followed, any potential benefits or risks, and the ability to withdraw from the study at any time without payment.

Standards and Ethical Approval

Authors are required to disclose that their research has been approved by the relevant institutional or national research ethics commission for studies that include human subjects. Studies must follow the Declaration of Helsinki's 1964 and its subsequent revisions or equivalent ethical standards.

In the case of animal studies, authors must attest to adherence to institutional and national guidelines for the use and care of laboratory animals.

Process for Informed Consent

Three essential components of the informed consent process are required:

Disclosure: Clearly explaining to possible research participants the purpose of the study, the requirements for participation, and the length of the project, the steps that must be taken, and any experimental techniques.

Understanding: Using language and terminology that the participants may easily understand, facilitating their knowledge of what has been given.

Voluntariness: Making sure that there is no compulsion of any kind and that participation is chosen freely. It is required to notify participants that they are able to quit at any time without being charged a fee or losing their benefits.

Information Included in Informed Consent

• A thorough explanation of the study, its objectives, the techniques involved,   and the anticipated length of the subject's involvement must all be included in the permission form.
• Potential hazards and anticipated discomforts, in addition to any advantages the individual or others might receive.
• Any suitable alternatives to current procedures or therapies.
• How much secrecy of documents pertaining to the issue will be preserved?
• Details regarding medical treatment options and compensation for research projects with higher than minimal risk.
• Contact details in case of a harm resulting from study, as well as inquiries on the rights of research subjects.
• A disclaimer emphasizing that there are no penalties or loss of benefits if participation is declined and that it is entirely voluntary

Documentation of Consent

Generally, informed consent is recorded in writing, with the subject's information included for future reference and to record their communication with the investigator. Nevertheless, getting a consent form signed is not the end of the consent procedure.

Consent is being obtained through a continuous process that may involve community meetings, Q&A sessions, or multimedia presentations. It is imperative to provide people the chance to get their questions and concerns answered.

Supervision and Adherence

In order to confirm the research's ethical approval and the informed consent that was received, SvedbergOpen Journals retains the right to ask authors for supporting documents. Retraction or rejection of research is possible if it violates these ethical guidelines.

Details of Contact

Please email us at ethics@svedbergopen.com if you would like more advice or to talk about the ethical implications of your work.