The JASE Code of Ethics

Members of the Japanese Association of Special Education (“Members”) shall sincerely acknowledge that all people have inherent dignity and fundamental human rights that must be protected, irrespective of their individual differences such as disabilities, developmental and educational histories, living environments, experience with receiving special learning assistance, etc. Members shall fully respect the freedom of all people and their pursuit of happiness.

To that end, Members shall sufficiently keep in mind the health, welfare, and safety of research participants (“Participants”), protect their privacy, and pay the utmost attention to respecting their individual rights of autonomy and self-determination.

Members have the freedom and right to communicate the knowledge and data they obtain; however, they must strive to maintain objectivity and fairness in their statements, stay conscious of their social responsibility, and sufficiently consider the effects that their actions have on society.

The following principles are established based on the points above.

1. Respect the wishes of Participants as they decide whether to take part in a study. Excessive solicitation or coercion to participate is prohibited.
2. Participants must be informed in advance that they are free to withdraw from participation in a study at any time. The utmost care should be provided when communicating this information in a manner that is appropriate for each Participant's age, developmental history, and level of understanding.
3. When conducting research related to personal matters, written or oral consent from the Participants must be obtained. If a Participant is incapable of freely providing their consent despite reasonable efforts, consent must be obtained from the person with the legal standing to make decisions for them (their “Guardian”).
4. When obtaining the aforementioned consent, sufficient information must be disclosed about the purpose of the research, its methodology, the anticipated impact on Participants, the policies for handling and publicizing data, and other important details. However, if the nature of the research makes such prior disclosure impossible, it must first be confirmed that the study will not disadvantage its participants in any way, then the reason for the nondisclosure must be explained to the Participants or their Guardians after it is completed.
5. Do not put Participants in danger, cause them to experience physical or psychological suffering, or disadvantage them over the long term. If it is determined that a study in progress endangers the physical or mental health of a Participant, immediately halt the research and devise strategies for improving the situation.
6. Information about Participants that is obtained through research must be securely managed and not used for purposes other than those for which consent was provided.

1. When announcing or publishing the results of research, sufficient thought must be given to the social, human, and political significance of the work, with full awareness of professional responsibility.
2. Personal privacy must not be violated. Access to the personal documentation of Participants must be strictly controlled and confidentiality must be maintained. If publishing sensitive personal documentation is necessary, consent must be obtained from the Participant or their Guardian.
3. The source of any referenced and used information must be clearly stated.
4. When publishing joint research, the rights and responsibility of fellow researchers must be respected.
5. When announcing the results to the general public, statements must be based on scientific evidence without misinformation, exaggerations, distortions, or provocative language.
6. Any conflicts of interest (COI) must be disclosed.
7. If artificial intelligence (AI) tools are used to write papers, the purpose of their use must be disclosed and the scope of accountability for the details of those papers must be clearly defined.

1. When conducting research activities, Members are responsible for sufficiently understanding this code of ethics and faithfully adhering to them.
2. If a Member is suspected of violating this code or committing research misconduct, or if such a complaint is received, the JASE Ethical Response Committee may conduct investigations, provide instructions, and implement necessary measures.

1. This code of ethics goes into effect on June 29, 2013.
2. Partially revised on June 21, 2025.