Statement of Informed Consent
Authors submitting manuscripts to the International Journal of Foreign Trade and International Business Upgradation (IJFTIBU) are expected to uphold the highest ethical standards in conducting and reporting research related to international trade, business practices, policy analysis, and economic development.

Informed consent is essential in all research involving human participants, including interviews, surveys, or case studies involving individuals, business professionals, institutional representatives, or policy stakeholders. Consent must be obtained on the basis of a clear understanding of the study’s purpose, methodology, potential risks or benefits, and the voluntary nature of participation. Participants must be informed of their right to decline or withdraw from the study at any point without penalty.

It is the authors’ responsibility to ensure that ethical considerations are respected throughout the research process—from design and data collection to publication and dissemination. Sensitive business information, personal data, or proprietary insights must be handled with strict confidentiality and data protection measures.

In situations where formal approval from an ethics committee or institutional review board is not required (such as for public data analysis, macroeconomic modeling, or anonymized business reports), authors must provide a reasonable justification for this exemption. Even in such cases, the research must comply with widely accepted ethical standards in the field of international business and trade research.

The International Journal of Foreign Trade and International Business Upgradation reserves the right to request documentation or evidence of ethical compliance at any stage of the editorial process. Failure to adhere to these ethical expectations may result in the rejection or withdrawal of the manuscript.

By following these ethical principles, authors contribute to the academic integrity, trustworthiness, and global relevance of research published in IJFTIBU—ultimately supporting responsible scholarship in the advancement of foreign trade and international business knowledge.