The editorial board of the scientific journal “Obraz” adheres to the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all necessary measures to prevent violations of ethical norms in scientific research.

The journal’s ethical policy regarding research involving human participants is based on the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and the current legislation of Ukraine. The policy is aimed at protecting the rights, dignity, and well-being of research participants.

All research involving human participants must be conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki of the World Medical Association.

Authors submitting manuscripts based on research involving human participants must ensure that such studies comply with national legislation, ethical standards, and international bioethics conventions. All procedures must be transparent, scientifically justified, and must not cause harm to participants.

Only manuscripts that comply with ethical protocols governing the conduct and publication of such research will be considered for publication.

For any research involving human participants (including surveys, interviews, and the use of personal data), the journal requires the following:

Ethical Committee Approval

All studies involving human participants must be approved in advance by an appropriate institutional ethics committee or its equivalent.

The manuscript must include the name of the institution, the protocol number, and the date of approval issued by the institutional ethics committee or Institutional Review Board (IRB) where the research was conducted.

If a study does not require ethical approval under national legislation, the authors must provide a clear justification.

Informed Consent

Authors must confirm that all participants provided voluntary written informed consent to participate in the study and to the publication of the results.

If participants are unable to provide consent themselves (e.g., minors or individuals with limited decision-making capacity), consent must be obtained from their legal representatives.

The manuscript must include a description of the consent procedure.

Confidentiality and Data Privacy

Any information that allows direct identification of participants (such as full names, unedited photographs, or document numbers) must not be published unless it has essential scientific value and explicit consent has been obtained.

All personal data must be anonymized and de-identified so that individual participants cannot be identified.

Authors are responsible for complying with legislation concerning personal data protection and confidentiality.

The editorial board may request raw data for verification purposes while guaranteeing confidentiality during the peer-review process.

Vulnerable Groups

Research involving vulnerable populations (such as minors, elderly individuals, persons with disabilities, or individuals in difficult life circumstances) must comply with enhanced ethical oversight and protection standards.

Risks and Participant Safety

Authors must describe potential risks to participants and the measures taken to minimize such risks.

Studies that expose participants to unjustified or disproportionate risks will not be considered for publication.

Violations of Ethical Standards

The absence of ethical approval or violations of the informed consent procedure constitute sufficient grounds for rejection of the manuscript at any stage of the editorial process, including after publication (retraction).

The editorial board reserves the right to:

1. Request documentation – ask authors to provide copies of informed consent forms or ethics committee approvals during the peer-review process.
2. Reject a manuscript – if there are justified concerns regarding the ethical conduct of the study or the authenticity of participants’ consent, even if formal approval has been obtained.
3. Investigate cases of misconduct – if ethical violations are discovered after publication (for example, following a complaint from a participant), the editorial board will conduct an investigation in accordance with COPE recommendations and may initiate manuscript rejection, publication of corrections, or retraction of the article.