ETHICAL CLEARANCE

Research Ethics and Animal Welfare Policy

ZOOTEC Journal is committed to maintaining high standards of research ethics, animal welfare, scientific integrity, and responsible scholarly publication. As a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the Faculty of Animal Sciences, Sam Ratulangi University, Manado, Indonesia, ZOOTEC requires all submitted manuscripts to comply with applicable ethical principles, institutional regulations, and national and international standards governing scientific research.

This policy applies to all research articles submitted to ZOOTEC, particularly studies involving livestock, experimental animals, companion animals, wildlife, animal-derived biological materials, and human participants.

1. Ethical Approval for Animal Research

Research involving live animals, including livestock, poultry, experimental animals, companion animals, and wildlife, must be conducted in accordance with recognized animal welfare standards and applicable regulations.

Where required by institutional policies, applicable legislation, or the nature of the research procedures, authors must obtain ethical approval from a recognized Animal Research Ethics Committee or an equivalent authorized institutional body before commencing the study.

Authors must provide the following information in their manuscripts:

  • Name of the institution or ethics committee granting approval.

  • Ethical approval number or reference code, where applicable.

  • Date of ethical approval, where applicable.

  • Confirmation that the research procedures complied with relevant animal welfare guidelines.

Research involving invasive procedures, experimental treatments, surgical interventions, induced diseases, or procedures that may cause pain, distress, or suffering must undergo appropriate ethical review before implementation.

2. Animal Welfare and Humane Treatment

ZOOTEC requires researchers to ensure that animals used in scientific investigations are treated humanely and responsibly throughout the research process.

Animal research must follow the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement):

  • Replacement: Consider alternative methods that avoid or replace the use of live animals whenever scientifically appropriate.

  • Reduction: Use the minimum number of animals necessary to achieve scientifically valid research objectives.

  • Refinement: Improve experimental procedures, housing conditions, handling techniques, and veterinary care to minimize pain, distress, and unnecessary suffering.

Researchers must provide appropriate animal housing, feeding, drinking water, environmental conditions, health monitoring, and veterinary care according to species-specific requirements.

Procedures involving pain, injury, or distress must incorporate appropriate preventive or alleviating measures, including anesthesia, analgesia, humane endpoints, or other scientifically justified interventions when applicable.

3. Ethical Considerations for Livestock and Field Research

Research conducted on commercial farms, smallholder livestock enterprises, breeding facilities, or other animal production systems must respect animal welfare principles and applicable institutional and governmental regulations.

Authors must obtain permission from farm owners, facility managers, or relevant authorities when research is conducted on animals or within facilities under their responsibility.

Research involving animal feeding trials, growth performance, reproductive performance, health monitoring, or other livestock management practices must be conducted using scientifically justified and ethically acceptable procedures.

Studies involving routine husbandry practices or non-invasive observations may not require formal ethical clearance when an authorized institutional ethics committee or applicable institutional policy determines that such approval is unnecessary.

However, authors must clearly explain the ethical considerations and permissions associated with their research.

4. Ethical Approval for Research Involving Human Participants

Research involving human participants, including livestock farmers, agricultural workers, consumers, business operators, and other respondents, must comply with applicable research ethics standards.

Studies involving interviews, questionnaires, surveys, focus group discussions, behavioral observations, or the collection of personal information must ensure:

  • Voluntary participation.

  • Appropriate informed consent.

  • Protection of personal information and confidentiality.

  • Respect for participant privacy and dignity.

  • The right to withdraw from participation without adverse consequences.

Where required, ethical approval must be obtained from a recognized institutional research ethics committee before data collection.

Authors must state how informed consent was obtained and describe the measures implemented to protect respondents' identities and personal information.

5. Research Involving Wildlife and Protected Animal Species

Research involving wildlife, protected animal species, or animals in their natural habitats must comply with applicable conservation regulations and animal welfare standards.

Authors are responsible for obtaining necessary research permits, collection permits, access permissions, and other authorizations from relevant governmental or conservation authorities.

Research activities must minimize disturbances to natural habitats, animal populations, biodiversity, and ecological processes.

Where applicable, ethical approval and permit information must be clearly reported in the manuscript.

6. Research Using Animal-Derived Biological Materials

Research involving animal tissues, blood, organs, biological specimens, genetic materials, or other animal-derived samples must comply with applicable ethical, biosafety, and institutional requirements.

Authors must provide information on the origin of biological materials and confirm that samples were collected, obtained, transported, stored, and analyzed in accordance with relevant standards.

Where samples are obtained from slaughterhouses, farms, veterinary facilities, or commercial sources, authors must disclose their origins and relevant permissions.

The use of previously collected, commercially available, or appropriately archived biological samples may not require new ethical approval, depending on applicable institutional regulations and the circumstances of sample collection.

7. Studies Not Requiring Ethical Clearance

ZOOTEC recognizes that certain categories of research may not require formal ethical approval, depending on the research design, applicable regulations, and institutional requirements.

Such studies may include:

  • Literature reviews and systematic reviews.

  • Secondary data analysis using publicly available or appropriately anonymized datasets.

  • Laboratory analysis of animal feed ingredients without involving live animals.

  • Non-invasive observational studies, where formal ethical approval is not required.

  • Studies involving commercially available animal products or previously collected biological materials, where no additional ethical approval is required.

Authors must not independently assume that ethical approval is unnecessary when the research involves ethical or regulatory considerations.

Where an ethics committee or authorized institutional body has issued an exemption or determined that formal ethical clearance is not required, authors should provide the relevant documentation or reference information.

When no formal review is required under applicable regulations and institutional policies, authors must provide a clear justification in the manuscript.

8. Ethical Clearance Statement in Manuscripts

All manuscripts involving animals, human participants, or biological materials subject to ethical oversight must include an appropriate Ethical Clearance Statement in the Materials and Methods section or in a separate declaration before the References.

Where ethical approval was obtained, authors should use the following format:

Ethical Approval Statement

The research protocol was reviewed and approved by the [Name of Ethics Committee], [Institution], under Ethical Approval Number [Approval Number], dated [Approval Date]. All research procedures were conducted in accordance with applicable institutional guidelines, animal welfare principles, and relevant ethical regulations.

Where formal ethical approval was not required:

Ethical Approval Exemption Statement

Formal ethical approval was not required for this study because [provide specific justification]. The research was conducted in accordance with applicable institutional policies and relevant ethical and legal requirements.

For research involving human participants:

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to data collection. Participation was voluntary, and confidentiality and privacy were maintained throughout the research process.

Authors must ensure that all ethical approval and exemption statements accurately represent the research procedures and the decisions of the relevant authorities.

9. Author Responsibilities and Editorial Verification

Authors are fully responsible for ensuring that their research complies with applicable ethical requirements and animal welfare regulations.

ZOOTEC reserves the right to request additional documentation, including ethical clearance certificates, institutional exemption letters, research permits, informed consent information, or other supporting documents during manuscript submission, editorial screening, or peer review.

The editorial team may seek clarification from authors or relevant institutions when concerns arise regarding ethical compliance.

Manuscripts involving serious ethical violations, inadequate protection of animal welfare, misleading ethical declarations, or failure to obtain required approvals may be rejected.

If ethical misconduct is identified after publication, ZOOTEC may initiate appropriate editorial actions, including investigation, correction, expression of concern, or retraction, in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policy and relevant COPE guidelines.

10. Compliance with Ethical Standards and Regulations

ZOOTEC encourages authors to follow recognized national and international principles for responsible animal research, including:

  1. Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) – Core Practices and relevant guidance on ethical oversight and publication integrity.

  2. ARRIVE Guidelines 2.0 (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) – Standards for transparent and reproducible reporting of animal experiments.

  3. The 3Rs Principles – Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement in animal research.

  4. Indonesian Law No. 18 of 2009 on Animal Husbandry and Animal Health, as amended.

  5. Government Regulation No. 95 of 2012 on Veterinary Public Health and Animal Welfare.

  6. Applicable institutional research ethics requirements and regulations governing human participants, wildlife, conservation, and biological materials.

ZOOTEC Journal is committed to publishing research that demonstrates scientific integrity, ethical responsibility, respect for animal welfare, and compliance with applicable research ethics standards.

All authors submitting manuscripts to ZOOTEC are expected to understand and comply with this policy.