Novel Forensic Research (NOFOR) aims to adhere to the guidelines and core practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing (a joint statement by COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, and WAME), and the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals issued by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).
These international standards promote transparency, scientific integrity, editorial independence, and ethical conduct throughout the publication process.
The journal also follows the WAME Recommendations on Publication Ethics Policies for Medical Journals and encourages authors to consult the EASE Ethics Checklist for Authors.
Medical research involving human participants, including research using identifiable human biological materials or data, must comply with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki (2024 revision).
Ethics Committee Approval
All research involving human participants, patients, medical records, human tissues, biological materials, retrospective data, surveys, interviews, or identifiable personal information must comply with applicable ethical and legal requirements.
Studies requiring ethics committee approval must obtain approval from an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee before the research begins.
The name of the approving institution and Ethics Committee/IRB, approval number, and approval date must be clearly stated in the Methods section of the manuscript. The journal may require authors to submit a copy of the ethics committee approval document during manuscript submission or evaluation.
If a study is exempt from ethics committee approval, the authors must provide an official statement from the relevant ethics committee or authorized institution confirming the exemption and explaining the reason.
Manuscripts submitted without ethics committee approval will be evaluated in accordance with the COPE Guidance for Editors: Research, Audit and Service Evaluations. If the absence of ethical approval raises significant concerns or the required approval cannot be documented, the manuscript may be rejected following editorial evaluation. Approval obtained retrospectively does not automatically resolve the absence of required prior approval.
Informed Consent and Confidentiality
For research involving human participants, authors must obtain written informed consent when required by applicable ethical and legal standards. The consent process must be appropriately documented, and signed consent forms must be retained by the researchers.
For studies involving children under the age of 18, written informed consent must be obtained from a parent or legally authorized guardian. Where appropriate, the child's assent should also be obtained according to age, maturity, and applicable regulations.
Information regarding informed consent must be clearly stated in the Methods section of the manuscript.
Authors are responsible for protecting the privacy, anonymity, and confidentiality of patients, research participants, and individuals involved in forensic investigations.
For case reports, clinical photographs, and other potentially identifiable information, written consent for publication must be obtained from the individual or legally authorized representative, where applicable. Signed publication consent forms must be retained by the authors and submitted to the journal upon request.
Identifiable photographs, images, or personal information must not be published without appropriate authorization. The removal of names or masking of facial features alone may not be sufficient to ensure anonymity.
Forensic Research and Postmortem Materials
Research involving forensic case records, autopsy findings, human remains, postmortem biological samples, forensic images, or other sensitive investigative materials must comply with applicable national legislation, institutional regulations, and ethical standards.
Authors must obtain the necessary ethical approvals and legal or institutional permissions before accessing or using these materials for research purposes. Where ethics committee approval is not required or an exemption applies, appropriate justification and supporting documentation must be provided.
The confidentiality, dignity, and privacy of deceased individuals and their families must be respected. Information or images that could identify individuals must not be published without appropriate authorization and, where required, consent for publication.
Research involving materials obtained from ongoing criminal investigations must comply with applicable legal restrictions and confidentiality requirements.
The journal may request evidence of ethical approval, exemption, or authorization during the editorial evaluation process.
Animal Research
Studies involving animals must obtain approval from the appropriate animal research ethics committee before the research begins, where required by applicable regulations.
Animal research must comply with relevant institutional, national, and international animal welfare standards, including the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (8th edition) and the International Guiding Principles for Biomedical Research Involving Animals.
Authors are encouraged to follow the ARRIVE Guidelines when reporting animal research.
The name of the approving ethics committee, approval number, and date must be clearly stated in the Methods section of the manuscript.
Authors must describe the measures taken to minimize animal pain, distress, and suffering and provide sufficient information to demonstrate compliance with applicable animal welfare requirements.
Ethical Responsibilities of Authors, Reviewers, and Editors
Authors, reviewers, and editors share responsibility for maintaining the integrity, transparency, and reliability of the scholarly publication process.
Authors must ensure the originality, accuracy, and ethical compliance of their research, disclose potential conflicts of interest, and provide accurate information regarding authorship, research approval, and funding.
Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts objectively, independently, and confidentially, disclose any potential conflicts of interest, and report suspected ethical violations to the editorial office.
Editors must make independent editorial decisions based on scientific merit, methodological quality, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal's scope. Editors must protect manuscript confidentiality, manage conflicts of interest, and ensure fair editorial procedures.
Manuscripts submitted by editors or editorial board members must be handled by an independent editor without a conflict of interest.
Research and Publication Misconduct Procedure
Novel Forensic Research takes allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously. Suspected misconduct, including plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication or falsification, inappropriate image manipulation, authorship disputes, undisclosed conflicts of interest, and violations of research ethics, will be handled in accordance with relevant COPE guidelines and flowcharts.
The journal follows the procedure outlined below:
1. Reporting and Initial Assessment
Concerns regarding suspected misconduct may be reported to the Editorial Office at noforjournal@gmail.com. The Editor-in-Chief conducts an initial assessment to determine the nature and credibility of the allegation. Reports are handled confidentially to the extent possible.
2. Investigation and Author Response
If further examination is warranted, the journal requests a written explanation and relevant supporting documentation from the authors or individuals concerned.
The journal may consult independent experts, ethics committees, or affiliated institutions when necessary. If an allegation involves the Editor-in-Chief or an editorial board member, the matter will be handled by an independent editor without a conflict of interest.
3. Editorial Decision and Corrective Actions
Based on the available evidence and the outcome of the investigation, the journal may take appropriate action, including:
Requesting clarification, additional documentation, or corrections.
Suspending manuscript evaluation pending further investigation.
Rejecting a manuscript under editorial evaluation.
Publishing a correction or expression of concern.
Retracting a published article when warranted.
Notifying the relevant institutions or authorities when appropriate.
4. Notification and Appeals
The individuals concerned will be informed of the editorial decision and its justification, subject to applicable confidentiality requirements.
Authors may submit a reasoned appeal supported by relevant evidence. Appeals will be reviewed impartially, where possible by an editor who was not involved in the original decision.
5. Post-Publication Actions
When ethical violations are identified after publication, the journal will take appropriate steps to protect the integrity of the scientific record.
Corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions will be issued in accordance with the COPE Retraction Guidelines.
The journal does not conduct formal institutional investigations or determine legal liability. Where necessary, suspected research misconduct will be referred to the appropriate institution or competent authority.
Further requirements concerning authorship, peer review, conflicts of interest, plagiarism, and other ethical violations are addressed in the journal's related editorial policies.