Obtain ethics review and approval before research begins where required. Report the approving body, approval identifier where issued, and relevant approval information. Obtain separate site, archive, community, or other research permissions where applicable.

Where an exemption or waiver applies, identify the authority or applicable basis and explain its scope. If formal review was not required, state why with reference to the relevant institutional or jurisdictional framework. Do not invent an approval number or imply that approval was obtained retrospectively.

Ethical approval does not automatically establish suitability for publication. Editors may seek clarification or supporting documentation and assess concerns that remain despite formal approval.

Obtain informed and voluntary consent where required, using a process appropriate to participants and the research context. Describe relevant consent arrangements or an authorised waiver.

Participation consent does not automatically authorise publication of identifiable quotations, photographs, recordings, or personal information. Obtain specific publication consent where required, or establish another valid ethical and legal basis.

Explain any consent to identifiable open-access publication accurately. Do not promise participants that material published under CC BY 4.0 can later be fully recalled or that reuse can be limited to non-commercial purposes.

Minimise disclosure of personal and sensitive information. Consider indirect identification through combinations of contextual details, particularly in small communities. Pseudonyms alone may not provide adequate protection.

Research involving children, dependent relationships, or people with limited capacity requires appropriate safeguards, permissions, and assent where applicable. Explain how coercion and unequal power relationships were addressed.

Ethnographic, digital, and community-based research should address contextual privacy expectations, cultural sensitivities, and relevant community protocols. Public accessibility of online material does not automatically remove ethical responsibilities.

Where relevant and within journal scope, health-related research must follow applicable human-research standards, and animal research must meet applicable welfare and approval requirements. Research with foreseeable risks to communities, cultural heritage, or the environment should explain appropriate safeguards.

Include the applicable ethics and consent statements as described in Manuscript Preparation. Do not routinely upload identifiable consent forms or sensitive participant records. Supporting evidence may be requested through an appropriate confidential channel.

Unresolved ethical concerns may prevent further consideration. Formal allegations and examination follow Allegations of Misconduct and Integrity Investigations.