Journal of Research in Social Sciences and Language

Research Ethics Involving Human Participants

JSSAL is dedicated to maintaining the highest ethical standards in research and publication. All studies involving human participants must adhere to internationally recognized ethical guidelines and institutional regulations. Authors are required to ensure that their research complies with ethical principles regarding human subjects, informed consent, and the protection of vulnerable populations.

1. Ethical Approval

All research involving human participants is expected to obtain ethical approval from a recognized Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee prior to data collection. Authors are encouraged to include a statement in the methods section specifying the name of the ethics committee, the approval number, and the date of approval, where applicable. If ethical approval was not required (e.g., for studies using publicly available data), authors are invited to provide a justification for the exemption. Research should comply with institutional, national, and international ethical guidelines, such as the BERA Ethical Guidelines, APA Ethics Code, and GDPR regulations (if applicable).

2. Informed Consent

Authors must obtain informed consent from all participants before data collection. Participants should be provided with detailed information about the study's purpose, procedures, potential risks, benefits, and their right to withdraw at any time without consequences. Consent must be documented (e.g., via signed forms or electronic consent). For studies involving children under the age of 18 or other vulnerable populations (e.g., individuals with cognitive impairments), informed consent must be obtained from both the participant (when possible) and their legal guardian/parent. The consent form should be age-appropriate and culturally sensitive.

3. Research Involving Vulnerable Populations

Research involving vulnerable populations, such as children, individuals with cognitive impairments, prisoners, refugees, or other at-risk groups, must adhere to additional ethical safeguards. Authors must ensure that:

Participation is entirely voluntary, with no coercion or undue influence.
Potential risks (e.g., psychological distress, privacy breaches) are minimized, and protective measures are in place.
For children under 18, consent is obtained from both the child (using age-appropriate methods) and their legal guardian/parent.
Research involving vulnerable groups is reviewed by an ethics committee with expertise in such studies, if necessary.
Deception, if used, is scientifically justified, and participants are debriefed appropriately after the study.

Special Note on Child Participants

Studies involving participants under 18 years old require particular attention. Researchers must use age-appropriate consent forms and consider the child's capacity to understand the research. Parental/guardian consent is mandatory, and where possible, the child's assent should also be obtained.

4. Confidentiality and Data Protection

Authors must ensure that participants' privacy and confidentiality are strictly maintained. Personally identifiable information must be anonymized or pseudonymized unless explicit permission has been obtained from participants. Authors must comply with data protection laws, including GDPR, when applicable.

5. Ethical Misconduct and Reporting

Any form of research misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, or unethical data collection, will result in rejection or retraction of the manuscript. If ethical concerns arise post-publication, JSSAL reserves the right to investigate and take appropriate action, including issuing a correction, retraction, or notifying relevant institutions.