The Iranian Journal of Veterinary Medicine (Iran J Vet Med) is committed to promoting the highest standards of animal welfare, scientific integrity, veterinary ethics, and responsible conduct of research involving animals. The journal recognizes the essential role of animals in advancing veterinary medicine, biomedical sciences, animal production, wildlife conservation, and public health. At the same time, the journal acknowledges the ethical responsibility of researchers to ensure that animals are treated humanely and with respect throughout the research process.
These guidelines apply to all manuscripts submitted to the journal that involve live animals, animal-derived biological materials, clinical veterinary cases, laboratory animals, farm animals, companion animals, aquatic species, wildlife, field studies, and experimental animal models.
Authors are expected to ensure that animal welfare considerations are integrated into the planning, design, implementation, monitoring, analysis, and reporting of their research.
All research involving live animals must be conducted in accordance with applicable institutional, national, and regional regulations governing the ethical care and use of animals in research.
Prior to commencing the study, investigators must obtain approval from an appropriate ethics committee, animal care committee, veterinary authority, or other competent regulatory body, where such approval is required.
Manuscripts must include:
Studies involving observational investigations, routine veterinary procedures, retrospective clinical records, or previously collected biological materials may not require formal ethical approval in certain jurisdictions. In such cases, authors must clearly explain the basis for exemption and demonstrate compliance with applicable regulations.
The journal reserves the right to request supporting documentation during editorial assessment or peer review.
The use of animals in research must be scientifically justified and necessary to address a clearly defined research question.
Investigators should demonstrate that:
Research involving animals should be designed to generate reliable, reproducible, and meaningful scientific evidence while maintaining the highest possible standards of animal welfare.
The journal supports the internationally recognized principles of Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement (3Rs).
Researchers should use non-animal alternatives whenever scientifically appropriate and feasible. Examples may include cell culture systems, computational models, tissue banks, simulations, previously collected datasets, and other validated methodologies.
The number of animals used should be the minimum required to achieve scientifically valid and statistically meaningful results. Appropriate study design, statistical planning, and data analysis should be used to avoid unnecessary animal use.
Research procedures, housing conditions, handling practices, and experimental techniques should be refined to minimize pain, suffering, distress, fear, and lasting harm while improving animal welfare and scientific quality.
Animals must be housed, transported, managed, and cared for according to accepted veterinary and animal welfare standards.
Investigators should ensure that:
Authors should report relevant details concerning:
Transportation of animals should be minimized whenever possible and conducted in a manner that reduces stress and safeguards welfare.
Any departure from accepted welfare practices must be scientifically justified and ethically approved.
Researchers have an ethical obligation to minimize pain, suffering, distress, and discomfort.
When procedures may cause pain or distress, investigators should implement appropriate measures to prevent, reduce, monitor, and manage adverse effects.
Manuscripts should clearly describe:
Researchers should assume that procedures likely to cause pain in humans may also cause pain in animals unless evidence demonstrates otherwise.
Animals experiencing severe or persistent pain, distress, or suffering that cannot be adequately relieved should receive immediate veterinary intervention or be removed from the study according to predefined humane endpoint criteria.
Surgical and invasive procedures should be performed only when scientifically justified and approved by the relevant ethics authority.
Such procedures must be conducted by appropriately trained personnel under suitable veterinary supervision.
Authors should report:
Appropriate infection control procedures should be implemented whenever surgical interventions are performed.
Multiple invasive or survival procedures performed on the same animal require clear scientific justification and ethical approval.
When euthanasia is necessary, it must be performed humanely by qualified personnel using methods appropriate for the species, age, physiological condition, and study objectives.
The selected method should:
Euthanasia should never be performed solely for convenience and must be justified within the study protocol.
Authors must describe the euthanasia method used and provide sufficient information to allow assessment of its appropriateness.
Disposal of animal remains must comply with applicable environmental, veterinary, and public health regulations.
Research involving client-owned animals requires particular ethical consideration because participation may directly affect the welfare, health, and quality of life of individual animals.
Authors must confirm that:
Any procedure performed solely for research purposes must be scientifically justified, ethically approved, and clearly explained to the owner before participation.
The journal encourages investigators to ensure that owners receive sufficient information regarding the nature, benefits, risks, and expected outcomes of participation.
Studies involving animal-derived biological materials, including blood, tissues, organs, milk, meat, reproductive materials, diagnostic specimens, abattoir samples, and archived biological collections, must comply with applicable ethical, legal, and biosafety requirements.
Authors should clearly report:
The use of previously collected specimens is encouraged when scientifically appropriate and consistent with research objectives.
Field-based investigations should be conducted in a manner that minimizes disturbance to animals, ecosystems, habitats, and local communities.
Researchers must obtain all necessary permits and authorizations for activities involving:
Investigators should avoid unnecessary disruption of natural behaviors, breeding activities, migration patterns, ecological interactions, and habitat integrity.
Research involving endangered, threatened, protected, or imported species must comply with all applicable national and international regulations.
For studies involving farm animals, investigators should ensure that management, handling, transportation, and husbandry practices prioritize animal welfare and good veterinary practice.
Research involving infectious agents, zoonotic pathogens, biological hazards, experimental infections, or potentially hazardous materials must be conducted according to appropriate biosafety and biosecurity standards.
Authors should describe measures taken to:
Where relevant, studies should include risk mitigation strategies addressing zoonotic disease transmission and occupational health concerns.
The journal encourages transparent, accurate, and complete reporting of animal research.
Authors should provide sufficient methodological information to enable readers, reviewers, and editors to evaluate:
Where applicable, authors are encouraged to follow ARRIVE 2.0 reporting recommendations.
Information reported should include:
Failure to provide sufficient methodological or ethical information may result in requests for revision, delays in peer review, or rejection of the manuscript.
Animal welfare and ethical compliance constitute an integral component of the journal’s editorial evaluation process.
Editors may decline manuscripts prior to peer review when:
Editors and reviewers may request additional documentation, permits, approvals, welfare records, or supporting information whenever necessary.
The journal reserves the right to consult independent experts regarding ethical concerns arising during editorial assessment.
By submitting a manuscript to the Iranian Journal of Veterinary Medicine, authors confirm that:
Basis of Journal Policy
This policy has been developed and adopted by the Iranian Journal of Veterinary Medicine as part of its commitment to responsible veterinary research and scholarly publishing.
The policy reflects internationally accepted principles of animal welfare, veterinary ethics, scientific rigor, and transparent reporting while remaining applicable to the diverse range of clinical, experimental, agricultural, wildlife, laboratory, and aquatic animal studies published by the journal.
The policy is intended to support ethical decision-making, protect animal welfare, improve research quality, and promote public trust in veterinary science.
References and International Resources
Source Statement
This policy has been independently developed and adopted by the Iranian Journal of Veterinary Medicine. The resources listed above informed the development of the policy and are provided for transparency and guidance. The policy should not be interpreted as a reproduction of any third-party guideline,