Journal Medical Libanais (JML) is committed to protecting the rights, dignity, privacy, and confidentiality of all individuals participating in research. The journal follows the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) regarding informed consent, patient confidentiality, and the ethical handling of personal information. Authors are responsible for ensuring that informed consent is obtained and documented in accordance with applicable ethical, legal, and institutional requirements before conducting research involving human participants.

Requirement for Informed Consent

Research involving human participants, identifiable human data, biological specimens, clinical records, or information obtained through a healthcare or doctor–patient relationship must be conducted only after obtaining voluntary, informed consent from the participants or their legally authorized representatives.

Informed consent should be obtained before participants are enrolled in the study and must include sufficient information regarding:

• The purpose and objectives of the research.
• The procedures involved in the study.
• Potential risks and anticipated benefits.
• The voluntary nature of participation.
• The participant's right to refuse participation or withdraw at any time without penalty.
• The measures taken to protect privacy and confidentiality.
• How personal information and research data will be collected, stored, used, and shared.

Patient Privacy and Confidentiality

The personal data and confidential information of patients and research participants must be handled with the highest level of confidentiality, discretion, and professional responsibility. Information obtained through a doctor–patient relationship or any other confidential healthcare interaction must never be disclosed without appropriate authorization.

Authors must ensure that:

• Personal health information is collected and used only for legitimate research purposes.
• Confidential information is securely stored and protected against unauthorized access.
• Patient privacy is respected throughout the research, peer review, and publication processes.
• Confidential information is handled in accordance with applicable data protection laws and institutional policies.

Publication of Identifiable Information

Identifiable information, including patient names, initials, identification numbers, photographs, videos, imaging data, audio recordings, or any other information that could reveal a participant's identity, must not be published unless:

• Publication is scientifically or clinically essential.
• Explicit written informed consent for publication has been obtained from the participant or the participant's legally authorized representative.
• The participant has reviewed, where appropriate, the material intended for publication and understands how the information will be presented.

Authors should not alter or falsify patient information solely to achieve anonymity if doing so would compromise the scientific accuracy of the research.

Anonymization of Data

Whenever possible, authors should remove or anonymize all personal identifiers before manuscript submission. Data should be presented in a manner that minimizes the risk of participant identification while preserving the scientific integrity of the research.

Editors may request confirmation that appropriate anonymization procedures have been followed before publication.

Vulnerable Populations

Research involving children, individuals with impaired decision-making capacity, prisoners, or other vulnerable populations requires special ethical consideration. In such cases, informed consent must be obtained from a parent, legal guardian, or legally authorized representative, together with participant assent whenever appropriate and required by applicable ethical guidelines.

Editorial Verification

The Editorial Office reserves the right to request copies of informed consent documentation or additional ethical information during the editorial or peer review process. To protect participant confidentiality, authors should not submit signed consent forms unless specifically requested by the journal.

Failure to provide satisfactory evidence of informed consent may result in rejection of the manuscript or withdrawal of a published article if ethical deficiencies are identified after publication.

Non-Compliance with the Policy

If concerns arise regarding informed consent, patient confidentiality, or unauthorized disclosure of personal information, the journal will investigate the matter in accordance with COPE guidance. Depending on the findings, appropriate actions may include requesting additional documentation, suspending editorial review, rejecting the manuscript, publishing a correction or expression of concern, retracting the article, or notifying the relevant institution or regulatory authority where appropriate.

Journal Medical Libanais is committed to safeguarding the privacy, confidentiality, and rights of all research participants while ensuring that published research complies with the ethical principles established by ICMJE, COPE, and internationally accepted standards for biomedical research and scholarly publishing.