Humanities, arts and social research can involve identifiable people, culturally sensitive knowledge and materials governed by custodianship or access conditions. GRHAS asks authors to explain how these responsibilities were addressed in the conduct and presentation of the work.

Research involving people

Obtain ethical approval when required by the institution or applicable framework and report the approving body and reference. Where approval is exempt or not required, state the basis. Describe recruitment, informed consent and steps used to protect participants.

Consider power relationships, vulnerability and the consequences of publication. For interviews, ethnography and personal narratives, explain anonymity and the treatment of quotations. Remove unnecessary identifying information from the manuscript and supporting files.

Consent to publication

Permission to participate in research and permission to publish identifiable material serve different purposes. Obtain publication consent for recognisable photographs, recordings, quotations and case details. The manuscript should report that consent without revealing private documentation.

When consent to identification is absent, use appropriate anonymisation and explain any effect on the evidence. Share signed consent forms only through a secure editorial route when specifically requested.

Archives, heritage and communities

Respect conditions attached to restricted collections, cultural objects and community knowledge. Describe permissions, consultation and relevant agreements. Acknowledge custodians and collaborators in a form consistent with those agreements.

Explain how the research handles sacred, sensitive or disputed material. Publication decisions should take account of rights, access arrangements and foreseeable effects on the people represented. Public availability alone does not settle every ethical question about reuse or identification.

Accuracy and representation

Represent participants, sources and historical contexts accurately. Explain the researcher’s relationship to the setting when it affects the interpretation. Distinguish documented evidence from inference and avoid claims that exceed the materials examined.

Editors may request clarification of oversight, consent or permissions. Ethical assessment is part of evaluating whether the article can be responsibly published. See Publication Ethics Requirements for the declarations to supply.