The Pakistan Journal of Nutrition (PJN) is committed to the ethical conduct and reporting of research involving humans, animals, biological materials, and other research activities within the fields of nutrition and related sciences. Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research complies with applicable ethical principles, institutional requirements, and national or international regulations.

Ethical Approval

Research requiring ethical oversight must receive approval from an appropriate institutional ethics committee, institutional review board (IRB), or other authorized review body before the study begins. Authors should provide the name of the approving body and, where available, the approval or protocol number in the manuscript.

The journal may request documentation of ethical approval at any stage of the editorial or publication process. Approval by an ethics committee does not prevent the journal from evaluating whether the ethical conduct of a study is appropriate for publication.

Research Involving Human Participants

Research involving human participants, human data, or human biological materials must be conducted in accordance with applicable ethical requirements and internationally recognized principles for research involving humans, including the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki where applicable.

Authors must state in the manuscript that appropriate ethical approval was obtained. If a study was exempt from formal ethical review, the authors should identify the authority granting the exemption and provide an explanation when requested by the journal.

Informed Consent

For research involving human participants, informed consent must be obtained when required by applicable ethical standards, institutional requirements, or law. Authors should state in the manuscript whether informed consent was obtained from participants or, where appropriate, from their parents, legal guardians, or authorized representatives.

If an ethics committee approved a waiver of informed consent, this should be clearly stated in the manuscript. The journal may request supporting documentation where necessary.

Privacy and Confidentiality

The privacy and confidentiality of research participants must be protected. Authors should not publish names, initials, identification numbers, recognizable photographs, or other information that could identify an individual unless such information is scientifically necessary and appropriate consent for publication has been obtained.

When potentially identifiable participant information is included in a manuscript, authors are responsible for obtaining the appropriate consent for publication and for retaining documentation of that consent in accordance with applicable requirements.

Nutrition and Dietary Intervention Studies

Studies involving dietary interventions, nutritional supplements, functional foods, nutraceuticals, feeding protocols, or other interventions that may affect participants' health must be designed and conducted with appropriate consideration of participant safety, potential risks, and anticipated benefits.

Authors should report relevant ethical safeguards, eligibility criteria, intervention procedures, and safety considerations with sufficient clarity to allow appropriate editorial and scientific evaluation of the research.

Clinical Trials and Prospective Studies

Clinical trials and other prospectively assigned health-related interventions should comply with applicable ethical and registration requirements. Where trial registration is required, authors should provide the name of the recognized trial registry and the registration number in the manuscript.

The journal may request additional information concerning the study protocol, ethics approval, trial registration, or informed consent when necessary to evaluate the ethical conduct and reporting of the research.

Research Involving Animals

PJN also publishes research in animal and comparative nutrition. Research involving animals must be conducted in accordance with applicable institutional, national, and internationally recognized standards for animal care, welfare, and use.

Authors should obtain approval from an appropriate animal ethics or animal care and use committee where such approval is required and should identify the approving body and approval number, when available, in the manuscript.

Animal studies should be designed to minimize unnecessary pain, distress, discomfort, and use of animals. Authors should provide sufficient information about animal housing, handling, experimental procedures, interventions, and humane endpoints where relevant to the study.

Research Involving Biological Materials and Data

Research involving human or animal biological samples, stored specimens, identifiable data, databases, or previously collected materials must comply with applicable ethical, consent, privacy, and institutional requirements. Authors should describe the source of such materials or data and provide information regarding ethical approval or exemption where appropriate.

Research Conduct and Data Integrity

Research must be conducted and reported honestly, accurately, and transparently. Fabrication, falsification, inappropriate manipulation of data or images, selective reporting intended to misrepresent findings, or other forms of research misconduct are unacceptable.

Authors must maintain appropriate research records and should be prepared to provide supporting documentation, underlying data, ethics approvals, or other relevant materials if requested by the journal in connection with an ethical or research integrity concern.

Noncompliance and Ethical Concerns

If concerns arise regarding the ethical conduct of submitted or published research, the journal may request clarification, supporting documentation, or additional information from the authors or relevant institutions. Consideration of a manuscript may be suspended while significant ethical concerns are being evaluated.

Where a serious ethical violation is established, the journal may reject the manuscript or, for published work, take appropriate post-publication action in accordance with its editorial policies, including correction or retraction where warranted.