CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY
CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY
- Purpose and Scope
The journal is committed to transparent reporting, impartial peer review, and independent editorial decision-making. This policy applies to authors, reviewers, editors, guest editors, editorial board members, and staff involved in manuscript handling.
A conflict of interest exists when a relationship, activity, or competing interest could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, professional judgment. The existence of a competing interest does not, by itself, establish misconduct.
- Interests Requiring Disclosure
Relevant interests may include:
- Financial interests:employment, consultancy fees, honoraria, share ownership, patents, royalties, paid expert testimony, gifts, travel support, and financial or in-kind assistance.
- Personal and professional relationships:family or close personal relationships, supervisory relationships, close collaboration, academic competition, or disputes that may affect impartiality.
- Institutional and commercial interests:organizational appointments, relationships with sponsors or community partners, and interests in products, services, or programmes discussed in the manuscript.
- Other non-financial interests:relevant advocacy roles or intellectual commitments that may affect professional judgment.
For community service articles, relevant relationships with partner organizations, product providers, and beneficiaries must also be disclosed. When uncertain, individuals should disclose the relationship for editorial assessment.
- Authors’ Responsibilities
Each author must disclose relevant interests at submission. The corresponding author coordinates the collection of disclosures, while every author remains responsible for the accuracy and completeness of their own declaration.
All manuscripts must contain a “Conflicts of Interest” section before the references. Disclosures should identify the author concerned, the organization or party involved, the nature of the relationship, and its relevance to the work.
Authors must explicitly state when they have no relevant interests to disclose. They must update their declarations if circumstances change during manuscript processing and promptly notify the editor of any omission discovered after publication.
The journal may request individual disclosure forms or additional information.
- Funding and Sponsor Involvement
Funding must be reported separately in a “Funding” statement, including financial and in-kind support.
Authors must describe the sponsor’s role in study or programme design, implementation, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and the decision to submit. If the sponsor had no involvement, this must be stated.
Acknowledging funding does not replace the obligation to disclose relevant competing interests. Authors must retain sufficient access to the evidence to take responsibility for their work.
- Reviewers’ Responsibilities
Reviewers must disclose potential conflicts before accepting an invitation and notify the editor if a conflict becomes apparent during review.
Reviewers must decline or discontinue an assignment when their impartiality is compromised. If uncertain, they should consult the editor before proceeding.
Confidential information obtained through peer review must not be used for personal advantage or to disadvantage others.
- Editors’ and Editorial Staff Responsibilities
Editors and staff must disclose relevant interests and withdraw from manuscript handling or decisions when those interests compromise independence.
Submissions authored by editors or editorial board members must be handled by an independent editor. The author-editor must not select reviewers, access confidential review information beyond that normally available to authors, or participate in decisions concerning their manuscript.
If the Editor-in-Chief has a conflict, the publisher must appoint an independent handling editor. Relevant editorial relationships and the independent handling arrangements should be disclosed in the published article.
Institutional affiliation, sponsorship, and publication fees must not determine acceptance.
- Management and Non-Disclosure
The journal may request clarification, replace reviewers or editors, obtain independent assessment, or require revised disclosure statements.
Concerns about undisclosed interests should be submitted through the journal’s official contact. The individuals concerned will have an opportunity to respond.
Actions will reflect the evidence and its implications for publication integrity. These may include correcting a published disclosure or initiating procedures under the journal’s research misconduct policy. An incomplete disclosure does not automatically warrant retraction.
- Transparency and Implementation
Authors’ conflict of interest statements will be published with their articles. Reviewer disclosures will be handled confidentially in accordance with the peer review model. Editors and relevant staff must update their disclosures periodically.
This policy takes effect on the date announced by the journal and will be reviewed periodically.
Example transcript in article
Where no relevant interests exist
Conflicts of Interest: All authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial relationships or interests that could reasonably be perceived to influence the work reported in this article.
Where relevant interests exist
Conflicts of Interest: [Author’s name] serves as [role] for [organization] and receives [type of remuneration or support]. This relationship is relevant to [product, service, or subject discussed]. The remaining authors declare no relevant competing interests.
Separate funding statement
Funding: This work was supported by [funder and grant number, if applicable]. The funder’s role was [describe actual involvement]. Any absence of involvement in the design, implementation, analysis, manuscript preparation, or decision to submit should be stated accurately.
