Informed Consent Policy

Naif Arab University Publishing House is committed to protecting research participants and upholding the highest standards of research ethics across all journals and scholarly publications it publishes. All research involving human participants must be conducted in accordance with recognized ethical principles, applicable national and international regulations, and accepted standards of good clinical and research practice.

1. Consent to Participate

For all research involving human participants, authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained from participants or their legally authorized representatives, unless an appropriate ethics committee or institutional review board (IRB) has granted an explicit waiver of consent.

Manuscripts must include:

  • The name of the approving ethics committee/IRB
  • The approval reference/number (where applicable)
  • A clear statement explaining whether consent was obtained or waived, and the basis for that determination

2. Consent for Publication

When a manuscript includes personal information about identifiable individuals—including clinical details, photographs, figures, videos, audio recordings, case descriptions, or any data that could reasonably allow identification, authors must obtain explicit written informed consent for publication.

Key requirements:

  • Consent for publication is separate from consent to participate.
  • Consent must cover publication in all formats, including online and print versions, and any supplementary materials.
  • Authors must state in the manuscript that informed consent for publication was obtained.

If the manuscript contains no identifiable personal information, authors should state that consent for publication was not applicable.

3. Anonymization and Confidentiality

Authors must take all reasonable steps to protect participant confidentiality and to anonymize data wherever possible.

  • Identifiable information must not be included unless it is scientifically necessary and explicit consent for publication has been obtained.
  • Removing names alone may not sufficiently prevent identification, especially in rare conditions or small populations; authors must assess and mitigate re-identification risk.

4. Vulnerable Populations

Research involving vulnerable populations, including children and adults lacking decision-making capacity, requires additional safeguards.

In such cases:

  • Consent must be obtained from a parent, legal guardian, or legally authorized representative (as applicable).
  • The manuscript must clearly describe the consent process, including any assent procedures where relevant, and identify the ethical approvals obtained.

5. Documentation and Verification

Naif Arab University Publishing House reserves the right to request copies of:

  • Ethics committee/IRB approval documentation
  • Consent documentation (as applicable)

Failure to provide adequate documentation when requested may result in manuscript rejection, withdrawal from consideration, or post-publication editorial action.

6. Editorial Oversight and Compliance

Editors are responsible for ensuring manuscripts comply with this informed consent policy. Any concerns relating to informed consent, confidentiality, or ethical approval may be referred for further review and handled in line with Naif Arab University Publishing House policies, including those governing corrections, retractions, and editorial expressions of concern, and procedures addressing allegations of misconduct.

This policy applies to all journals and scholarly publications issued by Naif Arab University Publishing House and reflects our commitment to ethical, responsible, and transparent scholarly publishing.