4. Ethics Policy for Research Involving Human Subjects

The journal ensures that all research involving human participants complies with national and international ethical standards, namely:

  • Declaration of Helsinki (WMA).
  • COPE Guidelines.
  • European and Portuguese legislation applicable to data protection and research involving human subjects.

Requirements for manuscripts involving human participation

Authors must declare in the manuscript:

  1. Prior approval by an institutional ethics committee or equivalent.
  2. The informed consent process obtained from participants.
  3. The measures adopted to protect privacy, anonymity, and data security.
  4. How situations of participant vulnerability were addressed.
  5. How data storage and confidentiality were ensured, including recordings, transcripts, and associated documentation.

Informed consent

Must include:

  • Clear information on objectives, methods, risks, and benefits.
  • Consent for audio or video recording, when applicable.
  • Assurance that participation is voluntary and may be withdrawn without penalty.

For minors or vulnerable persons, parental or equivalent consent is required.

Data protection and anonymisation

Authors must:

  • Remove names, locations, and references that allow identification.
  • Explain how data were anonymised.
  • Comply with the General Data Protection Regulation and applicable Portuguese legislation.

Exemptions

For research that does not involve human participants (e.g. documentary analysis), authors must explicitly state that ethical approval is not required.