Conflict of interest policy

Conflict of Interest Policy

• A conflict of interest arises when external circumstances may affect the objectivity of the research, its interpretation, or the peer review process.

• Authors are required to disclose all potential conflicts of interest at the time of manuscript submission.

• Potential conflicts of interest include, but are not limited to:
– institutional affiliations with organisations that may benefit from the research outcomes;
– financial support, grants, honoraria, consultancy payments, or any other material benefits related to the subject of the study;
– personal or professional relationships that may compromise impartiality;
– any other circumstances that could call into question the independence of the research.

• Such information must be disclosed in the “Comments to the Editor” section and, where appropriate, in the “Acknowledgements” section.

• Proper and full disclosure of relevant interests does not in itself constitute grounds for rejection or refusal to review a manuscript.

• In case of uncertainty regarding a potential conflict of interest, authors are encouraged to consult the Editor-in-Chief.

• The Journal reserves the right to reject a manuscript or initiate retraction of a published article if an undisclosed conflict of interest is identified.

Restrictions for Editors and Reviewers

Editors, members of the Editorial Board, and reviewers shall not participate in the evaluation of a manuscript if they:

• are the author or co-author of the submitted work;
• have recently collaborated with the author(s) on publications or research projects;
• have or may have a financial interest related to the subject matter of the study;
• maintain close personal or family relationships with the author(s);
• are direct academic competitors or have previously discussed the manuscript with the author(s).

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for determining whether a particular situation may compromise the impartiality and transparency of the publication process.