Animal Ethics and Welfare

Ethical Approval and Regulatory Compliance

Research involving animals must comply with applicable laws, regulations, institutional requirements and recognized ethical standards in the jurisdiction where the research was conducted.

Where prior approval by an institutional animal ethics committee or equivalent regulatory body is required, authors must obtain that approval before conducting the relevant research procedures.

Manuscripts should identify the approving committee or authority and provide the approval reference number where one was issued.

Where formal ethical review was not required under the applicable framework, authors should provide a brief explanation of the circumstances and the basis for the exemption or non-requirement.

An exemption from formal review does not remove the responsibility to conduct research humanely and in accordance with applicable legal and professional obligations.

Replacement, Reduction and Refinement

The GMS encourages researchers to consider the 3Rs when planning and conducting animal-related studies.

• Replacement: Consider scientifically appropriate alternatives to animal use wherever feasible.
• Reduction: Use an appropriately justified number of animals while maintaining the scientific validity of the study.
• Refinement: Design and conduct procedures to minimize pain, distress and suffering and improve animal welfare.

The application of these principles should be appropriate to the research objectives, study design and species involved.

Humane Care and Research Procedures

Animals used in research should receive appropriate care throughout the study, including suitable environmental conditions, nutrition, handling and veterinary oversight where necessary.

Researchers should use appropriate anesthesia, analgesia, monitoring and humane endpoints when relevant to the procedures performed.

Procedures that may cause pain, distress or lasting harm should be scientifically justified and subject to applicable ethical oversight.

Where euthanasia is necessary, methods should comply with applicable professional and regulatory guidance and be selected to minimize avoidable suffering.

Client-Owned and Privately Owned Animals

Studies involving client-owned animals, including veterinary clinical investigations, should respect the welfare of the animals and the rights and responsibilities of their owners.

Where required, researchers must obtain informed consent from the owner or legally authorized representative before participation in research procedures.

Authors should disclose relevant ethical approval, owner consent and welfare safeguards in the manuscript.

Routine veterinary observations and clinical case reports should be evaluated according to their circumstances and applicable requirements. They should not automatically be treated as experimental animal research.

Wildlife, Field and Agricultural Animal Studies

Research involving wildlife, free-ranging animals, livestock or other animals outside conventional laboratory settings should comply with relevant animal welfare, conservation, environmental and permit requirements.

Where applicable, authors should disclose necessary collection, capture, handling, transport or research permits and describe appropriate measures taken to minimize animal distress and ecological harm.

Ethics Statements in Manuscripts

Manuscripts reporting new research involving animals should include an appropriate ethics statement describing the relevant approval, oversight or exemption.

Where applicable, the statement should identify the reviewing institution or committee and the approval reference number.

Authors may also describe relevant welfare safeguards, owner consent, permits or other ethical arrangements according to the nature of the study.

The editorial team may request supporting documentation when clarification or verification is reasonably necessary.

Authors are not routinely required to submit separate certification letters when the necessary ethical information has been adequately provided in the manuscript, unless additional documentation is specifically requested.

Reporting Standards and Transparency

Animal research should be reported with sufficient methodological detail to support appropriate scholarly assessment, interpretation and reproducibility.

Authors reporting in vivo animal experiments are encouraged to follow relevant reporting guidance, including the ARRIVE Guidelines , where applicable.

Relevant information may include the animal species, study design, sample size, experimental procedures, welfare measures, ethical oversight and methods of analysis.

Reporting expectations should be proportionate to the type of scholarly contribution and the nature of the research.

Articles That Do Not Involve New Animal Research

Reviews, perspectives, commentaries, theoretical analyses and other articles that do not report new animal research generally do not require an animal ethics approval statement.

Authors discussing previously published animal studies should acknowledge relevant sources and accurately represent the available evidence.

The GMS does not impose animal research documentation requirements on manuscripts to which those requirements are not applicable.

Editorial Assessment and Animal Welfare Concerns

The GMS may seek clarification where questions arise concerning ethical approval, regulatory compliance, animal welfare or the scientific justification for research procedures.

The editorial team may consult reviewers or relevant specialists when additional expertise is necessary.

The journal reserves the right to decline manuscripts where serious ethical or welfare concerns remain unresolved, including research conducted without required approval or in violation of applicable animal welfare standards.

Concerns identified after publication may be addressed through the journal's publication ethics and post-publication procedures.

Editorial decisions concerning animal ethics and welfare are independent of publication charges and optional author services.