3078-4611
Conflict of Interest Policy
Definition:
A conflict of interest is any financial, professional, academic, or personal relationship that might affect — or appear to affect — the objectivity of the research, review, or editorial process.
Authors' Responsibilities:
• Authors must disclose any potential conflicts on the submission form.
• Examples include:
Funding from parties with interest in the results
Professional or family ties to stakeholders in the research
Contributions from companies with commercial interest in the outcomes
Reviewers and Editors' Responsibilities:
• Reviewers and editors must recuse themselves from handling a manuscript if there is a potential conflict (e.g., recent collaboration, same institution)
• Reviewers must notify the editorial board immediately if a conflict arises
Failure to Disclose:
• If undisclosed conflicts are discovered later:
The manuscript may be rejected or retracted
A clarification or correction notice may be published depending on the case