Helicopter research

Authors who conduct research outside of their own country or utilise resources outside of their community should be aware of the real and potential power imbalances and ethical issues. This particularly applies to authors in high-income countries who undertake research projects in lower-income countries.   

IOPP recognises this is typically driven at the funding level; however, authors have a responsibility to act ethically and equitably regardless of a funding mandate. The quality of research may be negatively impacted when authors fail to collaborate with lower-resourced parties.

• Authors should seek ethics approval from local institutions and communities where the research is being conducted and work collaboratively with them throughout the research process and dissemination stages.
• IOP Publishing follows the authorship criteria set out by the International Council of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria, should be listed in the Acknowledgement section
• IOPP is a proud adopter of the TRUST Code and Authors are encouraged to follow the recommended guidelines in the Global Code of Conduct for Equitable Research Partnerships throughout all stages of a research project

IOPP Editors review cover letters, justification statements, and acknowledgements to ensure inclusive, equitable, and ethical practises have been considered. If IOPP Editors have queries or concerns about how local communities have been involved in the writing of manuscripts, or research phase, they will reach out to the authors for further information. This may delay the peer review and may prevent publication if responses are not satisfactory.