ETHICAL ISSUES

All manuscripts presenting data obtained from studies involving human subjects must include a statement that the written informed consent of the participants was obtained and that the study was approved by an institutional ethics board or an equivalent body. This institutional approval should be submitted with the manuscript. Authors of case reports must submit the written informed consent of the subject(s) of the report or of the patient’s legal representatives for the publication of the manuscript. All studies should be carried out in accordance with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki, covering the latest revision date. Patient confidentiality must be protected according to the universally accepted guidelines and rules. Manuscripts reporting the results of experimental studies on animals must include a statement that the study protocol was approved by the animal ethics committee of the institution and that the study was conducted in accordance with the internationally accepted guidelines, including the Universal Declaration of Animal Rights, European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals Used for Experimental and Other Scientific Purposes, Principles of Laboratory Animal Science, and the Handbook for the Care and Utilization of Laboratory Animals. The authors are strongly requested to send the approval of the ethics committee together with the manuscript. In addition, manuscripts on human and animal studies should describe procedures indicating the steps taken to eliminate pain and suffering.

The authors should also disclose all issues concerning financial relationship, conflict of interest, and competing interest that may potentially influence the results of the research or scientific judgment. All financial contributions or sponsorship, financial relations, and areas of conflict of interest should be clearly explained in the cover letter to the Editor-in-Chief at the time of submission, with full assurance that any related document will be submitted to the journal when requested. For the details of journal’s “Conflict of Interest Policy” please read the PDF document which includes “Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Statement“.

The Turkish Journal of Family Practice follows the ethics flowcharts developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for dealing with cases of possible scientific misconduct and breach of publication ethics. For detailed information please visit www.publicationethics.org.