Ethics Approval

The Mindoro Journal of Social Sciences and Development Studies (MJSSDS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of research ethics and integrity. All studies involving human participants and/or animals must comply with internationally accepted ethical principles and relevant institutional, national, and international guidelines, including those aligned with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Research Involving Human Participants

Manuscripts reporting research involving human participants must include a clear statement confirming that the study received prior approval from an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB), Research Ethics Committee (REC), or equivalent ethics review body. The statement must specify:

• The name of the approving ethics committee or institution
• The approval reference number (if applicable)
• The date of approval

Authors must confirm that the study adhered to the following ethical requirements:

• Informed consent for participation was obtained from all participants prior to data collection, or from legal guardians where applicable.
• Participant consent for use of data and materials was obtained, including explicit permission for the use of any personal data, quotations, images, audio recordings, or video materials in a published article.
• Anonymisation and confidentiality were strictly maintained, ensuring that participants’ identities are protected through the removal or masking of personally identifiable information unless explicit consent for identification was granted.
• Data handling procedures ensured confidentiality, secure storage, and restricted access to sensitive information.
• Participation was voluntary, and participants were informed of their right to withdraw from the study without penalty.

Research Involving Animals

For studies involving animals, authors must confirm that all procedures were conducted in accordance with applicable institutional, national, and international guidelines for the care and use of animals in research. The ethics statement must include:

• The name of the approving animal ethics committee or institutional authority
• The approval reference number (if applicable)
• Assurance that all efforts were made to minimize animal suffering and reduce the number of animals used

Requirement for Ethical Declaration in Manuscripts

All submitted manuscripts must include an Ethics Approval Statement section within the Methods or end matter of the paper. The following formats are recommended:

• For human studies:
  “This study was approved by the [Name of Ethics Committee], Approval No. [XXXX]. Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to their inclusion in the study.”
• For animal studies:
  “All procedures involving animals were approved by the [Name of Animal Ethics Committee], Approval No. [XXXX], and were conducted in accordance with institutional and international guidelines for animal care and use.”
• If no ethics approval is required:
  Authors must provide a justification, such as studies using publicly available data or exempt research under applicable regulations.

Compliance and Editorial Authority

The MJSSDS Editorial Board reserves the right to request documentation of ethics approval at any stage of the review process. Manuscripts that do not comply with ethical requirements may be rejected or withdrawn from consideration.

This policy applies to all research submitted to the Mindoro Journal of Social Sciences and Development Studies (MJSSDS).