Conflict of Interest
A Declaration of Conflicting Interests policy pertains to a formal guideline that a journal may implement to necessitate a conflict-of-interest statement or disclosure from an author who is submitting or publishing work.
Conflicts of interest emerge when authors, reviewers, or editors have interests that are not fully visible and may sway their judgments about what gets published. These conflicts are described as those that, if revealed subsequently, would cause a reasonable reader to feel misled or deceived. Authors are advised to adhere to the COPE’s guidelines regarding undisclosed conflicts of interest in submitted manuscripts.
For Reviewers
Reviewers To ensure that the review process remains free from conflicts:
Editors must appoint a guest editor in cases where there is a conflict of interest concerning an author. Editors should verify that reviewers are not in a conflict of interest regarding an author.
Reviewers should inform the editorial office about any potential conflicts of interest before reviewing an article.
Minor conflicts do not disqualify a reviewer from assessing an article, but they will be factored into the evaluation of the referees’ recommendations.
For Authors
All authors and co-authors must disclose any possible conflicts of interest when submitting their manuscript (e.g., employment, consulting fees, research contracts, stock ownership, patent licenses, advisory affiliations, etc.). Should the article be accepted for publication, this information must be included in the final section.
For Editors
Editors must refrain from making any editorial decisions or participating in the editorial process if they have any Conflict of Interest, whether financial or otherwise, regarding a submitted manuscript.
An editor may also face a Conflict of Interest if a manuscript is submitted from their own academic department or institution; in these instances, they should implement explicit policies to manage the situation.
When editors submit their own research to their journal, a colleague in the editorial office should oversee the manuscript, and the editor/author must recuse themselves from any discussions or decisions related to it.