Writing & StyleStyle guide

Consent Statement

BMC guidance separates ethics approval/consent to participate from consent for publication and requires publication consent when a manuscript contains an individual person’s identifiable details, images, or videos. Exact declarations remain study- and journal-dependent.

Quick answer

A consent statement records the informed-consent declaration required for participation and/or publication in the target venue. Keep consent to participate distinct from consent to publish identifiable material.

Key details

Core IssueBMC guidance separates ethics approval/consent to participate from consent for publication and requires publication consent when a manuscript contains an individual person’s identifiable details, images, or videos
Registerscholarly, professional, or publisher-controlled writing

Important caveats

Scope Boundary

Consent requirements, waiver rules, guardian/next-of-kin procedures, documentation and exact wording depend on law, ethics review and publisher policy.

Further guidance

Distinction

Do not collapse consent to participate in research and consent to publish identifiable information into the same concept; journals may require separate declarations.

Purpose

State the applicable informed-consent declaration for participation or publication.

Sources and evidence

Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.

  1. Preparing your manuscript — declarations guidance (BMC) (opens in a new tab)BMC / Springer Nature · BMC manuscript declarations guidance for ethics approval/consent to participate and consent for publication

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