Policy on Ethical Clearance for Research Involving Humans, Animals, and Sensitive Data (ECHASD)

  1. General Provisions

The founders and the Editorial Board of the scholarly journal “Bulletin of the Penitentiary Association of Ukraine” establish mandatory requirements for compliance with ethical standards in research submitted for publication.

The editorial policy is based on the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the requirements of the current legislation of Ukraine concerning the protection of human rights, animals, personal data, and confidential information.

 

  1. Mandatory Ethical Approval

For research involving:

  • human participants;
  • the use of personal or confidential (including medical) data;
  • the use of human biological materials;
  • experiments on animals,

authors are required to provide official confirmation of ethical approval.

Such confirmation includes:

  • an approval issued by an Ethics Committee / Institutional Review Board (IRB); or
  • a decision of another authorized body of the institution where the research was conducted.

The manuscript must indicate:

  • the name of the approving body;
  • the reference number and date of the approval decision (if applicable).

 

  1. Protection of Personal Data and Confidentiality

When using personal or sensitive data, authors must:

  • ensure full anonymization (de-identification) of information;
  • eliminate any possibility of identifying research participants;
  • comply with national and international personal data protection legislation;
  • adhere to principles of confidentiality and privacy.

Special attention is given to research involving vulnerable groups, including:

  • suspects, accused persons, and convicted individuals;
  • victims;
  • other participants in criminal proceedings;
  • persons who, due to their status or circumstances, are unable to independently protect their rights and interests.

 

  1. Use of Materials from Jurisdictional Proceedings (Including Criminal Proceedings)

When using materials from:

  • pre-trial investigation;
  • pre-trial settlement procedures;
  • court proceedings;
  • forensic examinations;
  • enforcement of court decisions,

authors are required to:

  • comply with the confidentiality of investigation and court proceedings;
  • ensure non-disclosure of confidential information;
  • adhere to the requirements of criminal procedural and other applicable legislation of Ukraine.
  1. Ethical Requirements for Research Involving Animals

Research involving animals must comply with:

Any forms of cruelty or unjustified treatment of animals, as well as the promotion (justification or support) of such actions, are unacceptable.

 

  1. Grounds for Rejection

The Editorial Office rejects manuscripts if:

  • ethical approval is not provided (where required);
  • principles of personal data protection are violated;
  • there is a risk of identifying research participants;
  • the material justifies or promotes violence, cruelty, or other unlawful acts;
  • the research was conducted in violation of ethical standards or legal requirements concerning the protection of human rights, animals, personal data, and confidential information.

 

  1. Scientific Content Containing Sensitive Information

Given the journal’s scope, publication of materials describing:

  • crimes;
  • violence;
  • other socially sensitive phenomena

is permitted, provided that such descriptions:

  • are purely scientific and analytical in nature;
  • constitute an object of scientific research;
  • comply with ethical standards;
  • do not allow identification of individuals;
  • do not justify or incite unlawful actions.

In such cases, the Editorial Office may include a disclaimer:
“This article contains descriptions of sensitive content or unlawful acts and is published solely for scientific purposes.”

 

  1. Authors’ Responsibility

Authors are responsible for:

  • compliance with ethical research standards;
  • the accuracy of information regarding ethical approval;
  • the lawful use of data;
  • respect for the rights of research participants.

 

  1. Editorial Oversight

The Editorial Board:

  • verifies the availability of ethical approval;
  • may request additional supporting documents;
  • reserves the right to reject a manuscript in case of doubts regarding the ethical integrity of the research;
  • reserves the right, in the presence of indications of unlawful conduct, to notify the competent public authorities.