Conflicts of Interest
A conflict of interest is any financial, professional, institutional, intellectual, political, ideological, or personal relationship or circumstance that could influence, or could reasonably be perceived to influence, the conduct, interpretation, review, or publication of research.
The existence of a conflict does not necessarily imply wrongdoing. Transparency allows the journal to manage the situation and protect the integrity of editorial decisions.
Examples
Conflicts may include, but are not limited to:
- employment, consultancy, board membership, or advisory roles;
- grants, contracts, honoraria, fees, gifts, travel support, or other financial interests;
- patents, patent applications, licences, equity, or other commercial interests;
- recent or ongoing collaboration, supervision, mentoring, or direct competition;
- close personal, family, or adversarial relationships;
- institutional disputes or affiliations that may affect impartiality;
- strong intellectual, political, religious, or ideological commitments directly related to the manuscript.
Authors
Authors must disclose all relevant conflicts at submission and include a Conflict of Interest Statement in the manuscript. If no relevant conflict exists, the article should state:
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Funding sources and the funder's role in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and the decision to submit must be stated separately.
Reviewers
Reviewers must declare any actual or potential conflict before accepting an assignment. They should decline the invitation when a relationship or circumstance could prevent an impartial review or create a reasonable perception of bias. The editor determines whether a disclosed relationship can be managed or requires the appointment of another reviewer.
Editors and Editorial Board Members
Editors must recuse themselves from handling a manuscript when they have a conflict of interest. The manuscript will be assigned to an independent editor who will oversee screening, reviewer selection, correspondence, and the final recommendation or decision.
Submissions authored or co-authored by an editor or Editorial Board member are subject to the same editorial criteria and external peer-review requirements as all other submissions. The author-editor has no access to confidential review information and takes no part in the decision.
Undisclosed Conflicts
If a relevant conflict is discovered during review, the Editorial Office may replace a reviewer, re-evaluate affected reports, request a revised disclosure, or reject the manuscript, depending on the seriousness and effect of the omission.
If an undisclosed conflict is identified after publication, the journal will assess its effect on the reliability and interpretation of the article and may publish a correction, Expression of Concern, or retraction.
