The journal is committed to maintaining transparency, editorial independence and integrity throughout the publication process. A conflict of interest, also referred to as a competing interest, may arise where a financial, professional, institutional, academic or personal relationship could influence, or reasonably be perceived as influencing, the impartial assessment, review or publication of a manuscript.

Authors, reviewers and editors are required to disclose any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest relevant to their participation in the publication process.

 

Conflict of Interest: Authors

Authors must disclose any financial or non-financial interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research, its interpretation or its presentation.

Relevant interests may include:

• research funding or other financial support;
• employment or consultancy relationships;
• ownership of shares, patents or other financial interests;
• institutional or professional affiliations;
• personal relationships; and
• academic or professional relationships or competing interests relevant to the work.

Authors should provide a competing interests statement when submitting the manuscript. Where no relevant competing interests exist, this should be stated explicitly.

Failure to disclose a relevant competing interest may lead to further editorial investigation and, where appropriate, correction of the published record or other action in accordance with the journal’s publication ethics procedures.

 

Conflict of Interest: Reviewers

Reviewers must disclose any relationship or interest that could affect, or reasonably be perceived as affecting, their ability to provide an independent and impartial assessment.

Potential conflict may include:

• recent or ongoing collaboration or co-authorship with the author(s);
• current institutional affiliation with an author;
• close personal or professional relationships with the author(s);
• significant academic rivalry or competitive interests; and
• financial or professional interests related to the subject or outcome of the manuscript.

Where a conflict could compromise impartial review, the reviewer should decline the invitation.

If a relevant conflict becomes apparent after the manuscript has been assigned, the reviewer must inform the Editorial Office promptly. The editor will determine whether the reviewer should continue or whether the manuscript should be reassigned to another independent reviewer.

 

Conflict of Interest: Editors

Editors must disclose any conflict of interest that could affect, or reasonably be perceived as affecting, their editorial judgement.

Editors must not participate in the assessment or decision-making process for manuscripts where an appropriate degree of editorial independence cannot be maintained. Such circumstances may include:

• manuscripts authored or co-authored by the editor;
• submissions by close collaborators or members of the editor’s research group;
• submissions from individuals with whom the editor has a close personal, financial or professional relationship;
• situations involving significant academic rivalry or competing interests; and
• other relationships that could reasonably call the editor’s impartiality into question.

Where an editor has a relevant conflict of interest, responsibility for the manuscript must be transferred to another suitably qualified and independent editor or member of the Editorial Board.

If the Editor-in-Chief has a conflict of interest, they must not participate in reviewer selection, manuscript evaluation or the final editorial decision. Responsibility for the manuscript must be assigned to an independent editor. Where appropriate, an external guest editor may be appointed.

 

Management of Conflict of Interest

Conflict of interest is managed in accordance with the journal’s publication ethics policies and relevant COPE guidance.

Depending on the nature and significance of the conflict, appropriate measures may include:

• disclosure of the competing interest;
• reassignment of the manuscript to another editor;
• replacement of a reviewer;
• publication or correction of a competing interests statement;
• additional independent editorial or peer review; or
• other action necessary to protect the integrity of the editorial process and the scholarly record.

An undisclosed conflict of interest does not automatically constitute grounds for rejection or retraction. Any editorial action will depend on the nature of the conflict, whether it affected the integrity of the peer-review or decision-making process, and whether it materially affects the reliability or interpretation of the published work.

Editorial decisions are based on the scholarly merit, originality, methodological quality, relevance and ethical integrity of the manuscript and must not be influenced by inappropriate financial, institutional, personal or other interests.