Official Journal of the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Al-Qadisiyah
Al-Qadisiyah Journal of Veterinary Medicine Sciences (QJVMS) is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards in veterinary research and scholarly publishing. The journal recognizes that ethical approval, informed consent, animal welfare, confidentiality, and responsible research practices are essential to the conduct and publication of veterinary research.
Authors submitting manuscripts to QJVMS are responsible for ensuring that their research complies with applicable national and international ethical standards and that all necessary ethical approvals and consent procedures have been obtained before the study is conducted.
QJVMS requires all research involving animals to be conducted with due consideration for animal health, welfare, and humane treatment. Authors should follow the principles of the 3Rs: Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement, wherever applicable, and ensure that animals are exposed to the minimum level of discomfort, pain, or distress necessary to achieve scientifically valid objectives.
Research involving animals must comply with relevant national and international standards for the humane care and use of animals. Where applicable, authors must obtain approval from an institutional animal care and use committee, institutional ethics committee, or another legally or institutionally recognized equivalent authority before commencing the research.
For studies involving privately owned or client-owned animals, authors must obtain informed consent from the animal owner or legally authorized representative before enrollment in the study or before performing procedures that are beyond routine veterinary care.
The owner should be provided with adequate information regarding the purpose of the research, proposed procedures, potential risks and benefits, and the intended use of research data, clinical information, photographs, or other materials.
Where informed consent is required, authors must include an appropriate statement in the manuscript confirming that consent was obtained.
Written consent should be retained by the authors or the responsible institution and made available to QJVMS upon reasonable request. Authors should not routinely submit consent forms with the manuscript unless requested by the editorial office.
When a manuscript contains photographs, videos, clinical records, case histories, or other information that could identify an animal owner, farm, institution, or individual, authors must obtain appropriate permission for publication.
Authors should remove unnecessary identifying information from manuscripts, images, and supplementary materials to protect privacy and confidentiality.
Studies involving wildlife, endangered or protected species, experimental animals, or animals maintained under special conditions must comply with relevant legislation, institutional requirements, and internationally recognized ethical standards.
Authors must demonstrate that the scientific objectives justify the use of animals and that appropriate measures were taken to minimize harm, stress, pain, and distress.
Clinical research involving animals presented for diagnosis or treatment must not compromise the animal's welfare or interfere unnecessarily with appropriate veterinary care.
Owners should be informed about the nature of the study and any research procedures that extend beyond routine diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. Additional interventions performed solely for research purposes should receive appropriate ethical approval and owner consent.
Research involving animals must receive prior approval from an appropriate institutional ethics committee, animal care and use committee, or equivalent competent authority, where such approval is required.
Manuscripts should include an Ethical Approval Statement identifying:
If ethical approval was not required, authors must provide a clear justification in the manuscript.
Authors are responsible for ensuring that the research is conducted in accordance with the approved protocol and applicable ethical requirements.
Any substantial deviation from the approved protocol must be appropriately justified and, where required, reported to the relevant ethics committee. Failure to comply with approved ethical procedures may result in rejection of the manuscript or other editorial action.
For research involving human participants, including animal owners, farmers, veterinary professionals, students, or members of the public, authors must obtain approval from an appropriate ethics committee or institutional review board where required.
Informed consent must be obtained from participants when required by applicable ethical standards or regulations.
QJVMS requires authors to protect the confidentiality and privacy of human participants.
Personally identifiable information must not be published unless it is essential for the scientific purpose of the manuscript and explicit informed consent for publication has been obtained. Authors should anonymize personal information wherever possible.
Case reports and clinical studies containing potentially identifiable information must comply with applicable ethical and consent requirements.
When photographs, diagnostic images, clinical histories, or other information could reasonably lead to the identification of an owner or individual, appropriate consent for publication must be obtained before publication.
QJVMS reserves the right to request evidence of ethical approval, informed consent, or other relevant documentation at any stage of the editorial or peer-review process.
The journal may contact the relevant institution or ethics committee when there are reasonable concerns regarding the authenticity or adequacy of ethical approval or consent.
Where ethical concerns arise after publication, QJVMS may investigate the matter and take appropriate action, including publication of a correction, expression of concern, or retraction, in accordance with recognized publication-ethics standards.
Authors are ultimately responsible for ensuring that all required ethical approvals, informed consent procedures, animal welfare measures, and confidentiality protections have been appropriately implemented.
Ethical statements submitted to QJVMS must be accurate, complete, and transparent. Providing false, misleading, or incomplete information regarding ethical approval or informed consent may constitute a breach of publication ethics and may result in editorial action.
QJVMS is committed to promoting responsible, transparent, and ethically sound veterinary research. The journal encourages authors, reviewers, and editors to uphold high standards of animal welfare, scientific integrity, informed consent, confidentiality, and responsible research conduct.
QJVMS will periodically review and update this policy to ensure continued alignment with relevant national regulations and internationally recognized standards in veterinary research and scholarly publishing.