Authors, reviewers and editors must disclose relationships or interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research, review or editorial decision.
Potential conflicts may include:
- Financial interests
- Employment
- Consultancy
- Funding relationships
- Personal relationships
- Academic competition
- Institutional relationships
- Intellectual or professional interests
Authors
Authors should include a conflict-of-interest statement in the manuscript.
Reviewers
Reviewers must decline assignments where a relevant conflict could compromise impartiality.
Editors
Editors must recuse themselves from decisions where a significant conflict exists and, where appropriate, arrange for another qualified editor to manage the manuscript.
The existence of a declared conflict does not automatically prevent publication; it should be managed transparently.