A manuscript reporting research involving living vertebrates or higher invertebrates must include a statement specifying the institutional and/or licensing committee that approved the experiments. Additionally, all relevant details of the experimental procedures must be provided, including housing conditions, animal sex, and other characteristics that could significantly influence the results. Authors are encouraged to adhere to Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes and to follow the ARRIVE guidelines when conducting experiments.

For authors from Ukraine, compliance with the Law of Ukraine "On the Protection of Animals from Cruel Treatment" and the Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine No. 249 of March 1, 2012 regarding the procedures for conducting experiments on animals is mandatory.

The manuscript must include information on institutional bioethics committee approval for the study, specifying the protocol number, date, and permission for publishing the results.

Research Involving Human Participants

A manuscript reporting research involving human participants must include a statement confirming that written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Participants must sign the consent form after being fully informed about the study’s objectives, procedures, rights, responsibilities, and the conditions for withdrawal at any stage. Authors must specify the committee that approved the study.

All research involving human subjects must comply with the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki on ethical principles for medical research involving human participants (https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/990_005#Text).

Authors must clearly describe the selection process for participants in observational or experimental studies (healthy individuals, patients, or control groups), outlining inclusion and exclusion criteria as well as the characteristics of the source population. Since factors such as age, sex, or ethnicity may not always be fully understood at the study design stage, efforts should be made to ensure a representative sample. At a minimum, descriptive data on key demographic characteristics should be provided. Additionally, authors should assess how well the sample reflects the target population.

Authors must use the terms "sex" (referring to biological factors) and "gender" (referring to identity, psychosocial, or cultural factors) accurately. They should report the sex and/or gender of study participants, as well as the sex of animals or cells used in research, and describe the methods used for determination. If a study includes only one sex or gender, the rationale must be explained.

If race or ethnicity data are collected, authors must specify the methods used and justify their relevance. If these data were not collected, the reasons should be stated. Since race and ethnicity are social constructs, not biological categories, results related to these factors should be interpreted accordingly. Language used to describe participants must be neutral, precise, and respectful, avoiding terminology that could contribute to stigma (ICMJE guidelines).

 

Requirements for Manuscripts Involving Participant Consent

If a study involves human participants, authors must obtain written informed consent from each participant. Research must comply with all legal and regulatory requirements regarding confidentiality and personal data protection. For authors from Ukraine, this includes the Law of Ukraine "On Personal Data Protection".

The author is responsible for:

• Informing participants (or their legal guardians) about the intent to create photos, videos, or other content and its purpose. Written consent must be obtained and retained by the author and provided to the editorial board upon request. Special attention must be given to studies involving children, where parents or guardians have the right to refuse the creation and dissemination of audiovisual content.
• Ensuring participant confidentiality by preventing any identifiable body parts or personal information from being visible in images or text.
• Justifying the inclusion of images in the manuscript. Even when consent for audiovisual content is obtained, the images must contribute meaningfully to the scientific results.
• Informing participants that any photos, videos, or audio recordings taken during the study may be made publicly available online and in print following publication, with anonymity preserved.

Consent is not required for anonymized images, such as X-rays or ultrasound scans, as long as they contain no identifiable features or text.

The editorial board may request original photographs from authors to ensure high-quality images. The editorial team guarantees patient anonymity and will coordinate the final version of any figures with the author.