Human Research Ethics Policy

The Asian Review of Public Administration (ARPA) is committed to publishing research involving human participants only when it upholds the highest ethical standards, complies with international declarations (notably the Declaration of Helsinki), and adheres to local and institutional regulations.

Ethical Oversight
All research involving human participants must receive prior approval from a recognized institutional review board (IRB), ethics committee, or equivalent ethical oversight body. Authors are required to:

  1. Clearly name the approving institution or ethics committee in their manuscript.

  2. Provide the ethical approval reference number or identifier (if applicable).

  3. Confirm that the study adhered to the approved protocol throughout its execution.

The Asian Review of Public Administration (ARPA) reserves the right to request formal evidence of ethical approval during the editorial review process.

Compliance with International Standards
Authors must explicitly state in their manuscript that the study complied with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki (World Medical Association), including its most recent revisions. Where applicable, studies should also comply with:

  1. Local and national ethical regulations.

  2. Institutional research ethics policies.

  3. Relevant discipline-specific ethical frameworks.

Informed Consent
Authors must ensure that informed consent was obtained from all participants before inclusion in the research. This includes:

  1. Providing participants (or their legal guardians) with clear and understandable information regarding:

    • The purpose and objectives of the study.
    • The procedures and interventions involved.
    • Any potential risks, discomforts, or benefits.
    • The voluntary nature of participation and the right to withdraw at any time without penalty.

  2. For studies involving vulnerable populations (such as minors, the elderly, or individuals with cognitive impairments), obtaining consent from legally authorized representatives is mandatory.

  3. For qualitative research, interviews, or case studies where participant identities could be inferred, authors must secure explicit consent for publication.

Please refer to Informed Concest for detail information

Participant Confidentiality and Privacy
Protecting the confidentiality, privacy, and dignity of research participants is paramount. Authors are expected to:

  1. Ensure that all personally identifiable information is anonymized or de-identified before submission.

  2. Refrain from publishing participant names, images, or other identifying details unless explicit, written consent has been obtained specifically for publication.

  3. Explain the measures taken to secure participant data and maintain confidentiality in the manuscript.

Transparency and Editorial Oversight
The Asian Review of Public Administration (ARPA) reserves the right to:

  1. Request copies of ethical approval documents, consent forms, or related ethics materials at any stage of the editorial process.

  2. Decline manuscripts where ethical standards are unclear, inadequately reported, or not satisfactorily demonstrated.

  3. Apply the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in handling suspected breaches of research ethics.