Conflict of Interest Policy

A Declaration of Conflicting Interests policy refers to an official standard that a journal may enforce, requiring authors to provide a statement or disclosure of any conflicts of interest during the submission or publication process. Conflicts of interest occur when authors, reviewers, or editors possess interests that are not entirely transparent, potentially affecting their decisions regarding publication. They have been characterized as elements that, when disclosed at a later time, could lead a reasonable reader to feel misled or deceived.

Editors and guest editors are required to ensure that the review processes are conducted fairly and without bias, irrespective of any acknowledged conflicts of interest. Any editor, who has a conflict of interest, whether of a financial nature or other, must abstain from making editorial decisions or participating in the editorial process for a submitted manuscript. When a manuscript is submitted from an editor's own academic department or institution, a conflict of interest may be present. In such cases, it is essential for them to follow clear policies in place to address this issue. If editors submit their own research to this journal, a member of the editorial office should take charge of managing the manuscript, while the editor should abstain from engaging in discussions and decisions about it. Editors must guarantee that reviewers are not subject to any conflicts of interest concerning an author. It is advisable for editors to appoint a guest editor in situations where a conflict of interest arises concerning an author. Reviewers are required to inform the editorial office of any potential conflicts of interest prior to evaluating an article. Minor conflicts do not preclude a reviewer from evaluating an article; however, these conflicts will be considered in the context of the referees' recommendations.

Authors are advised to review the manuscript submission guidelines to understand the specific requirements regarding conflict of interest declarations and ensure they are followed. Authors are required to reveal all types of financial assistance, including support from pharmaceutical companies, in their submissions. It is mandatory for all authors and co-authors to disclose any possible conflicts of interest at the time of article submission, including but not limited to commercial or financial involvements, employment, consulting fees, stock ownership, research contracts, advisory affiliations, and patent licenses. Any potential conflicts must be revealed in a cover letter submitted alongside the manuscript and will be addressed with the editor concerning their disclosure in the journal. It is imperative that authors do not engage in restrictive agreements with sponsors that limit the dissemination of both positive and negative findings or mandate sponsor consent before any publication. If the article is accepted for publication in the future, the conflicts information should be reflected in the concluding section. It is to be included at the manuscript's conclusion, after the acknowledgments section, and with the titled 'Declaration of Conflicting Interest'.

All research activities should be performed in accordance with an appropriate ethical framework. If there are indications that the work has not been performed within a suitable ethical framework, editors may choose to reject the manuscript or reach out to the authors' ethics committee. In exceptional circumstances, if the editor harbors significant concerns regarding the ethical implications of a study, the manuscript may be rejected on ethical grounds, despite having obtained approval from an ethics committee. Any article that undertakes animal or clinical research should incorporate a statement that aligns with the standards of the animal and human ethics committee. Research activities ought to be executed in a manner that prevents any unnecessary distress or harm to animals. Personal identifying information, such as names or identification numbers, must not be disclosed in written accounts unless it is deemed necessary for scientific objectives and explicit written consent for publication is obtained.