Conflict of Interest
Authors, editors, and peer reviewers must disclose relationships or circumstances that could reasonably influence, or appear to influence, scholarly judgment.
Competing Interests Covered
Financial
Employment, consultancy, honoraria, grants, commercial relationships, ownership interests, or other financial arrangements.
Non-Financial
Personal relationships, academic competition, institutional links, advocacy positions, or professional associations may affect objectivity.
Responsibilities by Role
- Authors: disclose relevant competing interests and funding sources at submission, including an explicit statement when none exist.
- Editors: disclose conflicts, withdraw from affected decisions, and transfer handling to an independent editor.
- Reviewers: promptly disclose competing interests and decline or recuse themselves when impartiality or confidentiality may be compromised.
Management and Updates
Disclosures are considered by the handling editor, who may seek clarification, publish an appropriate disclosure, appoint an independent reviewer, or arrange recusal. New conflicts discovered during or after review must be reported promptly. A disclosure does not automatically mean that misconduct occurred.