Update--Ethical standards in sport and exercise science research.

3. The research protocol . The study, research design and statistical analysis must be clearly described, justifi able and appropriate. In drawing up the research protocol, the researcher must; a) consider ethical issues in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, b) provide information regarding funding, sponsors, institutional affi liations, other potential confl icts of interest, c) consider the contribution to new knowledge and consider the environment, d) include details of any incentives for participants and provisions for treating and/or compensating participants who are harmed as a consequence of participation in the research study, e) describe the arrangements for post-study access by all participants to interventions identifi ed as benefi cial in the study or access to other appropriate care or benefi ts. 4. Consent . Informed consent/assent should be provided freely by the participant and should ideally be in writing. If written consent/assent cannot be obtained, or is not appropriate, then oral consent/assent should be formally documented and witnessed. Research that involves children or other populations that cannot consent (e. g. vulnerable populations) should seek consent from an appropriate person and assent from the participant. Research involving participants who are physically or mentally incapable of giving consent may be undertaken only if the physical or mental condition that prevents giving informed consent is a necessary characteristic of the research population. Informed consent/assent must include the; a) aims of the research, b) methods, c) sources of funding, d) confl icts of interest, e) institutional affi liations, f) Anticipated benefi ts and potential risks, g) potential discomfort and h) right to refuse to participate or withdraw consent without reprisal. 5. Conduct . Research must be conducted; a) in accordance with appropriate risk management, b) by appropriately qualifi ed researchers and support staff , c) with skill and care and d) in an appropriate setting. e) in order to protect the privacy of participants and confi dentiality of their personal information and For research that involves human participants or animals to be published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine (IJSM), it must have been conducted in accordance with recognised ethical standards and national/international laws. Authors are required to confi rm that these standards and laws have been adhered to by formally citing this editorial within the methods section of their own manuscript. In the IJSM editorial, Ethical Standards in Sport and Exercise Science Research [ 4 ] , published in 2009, we outlined the principles of the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki [ 2 ] and the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research of the National Research Council’s Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals [ 6 ] . We also highlighted the ethical issues that are incorporated into national/international laws and provided specifi c guidance on ethical issues which commonly arise in Sports Medicine research. These principles and issues are reproduced below from the 2009 IJSM Editorial [ 4 ] . However, we have also now updated this information in order to: A. Specifi cally recognise the ethical principles of professional associations and treaties when conducting research involving human participants. B. Provide specifi c information on key ethical issues in research involving human participants, which were briefl y covered in the original IJSM editorial [ 4 ] . C. Include information on the eighth edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals [ 7 ] , published in 2010. D. Highlight the importance of optimum statistical power for human and animal research in sports medicine.