The journal strives to ensure objectivity and transparency at every stage of the publication process. To achieve this, all participants – authors, reviewers, and editors – must declare any potential conflict of interest. This helps to avoid any potential influence of personal or financial interests on the research results and the decision-making process regarding publication.

Authors are required to disclose any conflict of interest when submitting an article. This includes both financial and non-financial factors that could affect the objectivity of their research. Financial conflict may involve fees, employment, participation in companies, or patent authorship, while non-financial conflict could include personal relationships, academic rivalries, or ideological beliefs.

If the author has no conflict of interest, this is indicated by the note “None” in the mandatory section at the end of the article.

Reviewers must declare any conflict of interest that might hinder their ability to provide an objective assessment of the article. This includes situations where the reviewer has financial or personal connections with the author or organisation involved in the research, or where there is direct competition between their own research and the manuscript they are reviewing. Additionally, a reviewer must not assess an article if they have personal relationships with the author (such as friendship or rivalry) that could affect their evaluation.

If a conflict of interest is identified, the reviewer is obligated to decline reviewing the article.

Editors must also disclose any conflict of interest that may affect their impartiality in making publication decisions. This includes situations where the editor has financial or personal connections with the author or organisation, or if the editor is a co-author of the article or works at the same institution as the author(s).

In such cases, the editor must refer the article to another editor or engage an independent expert for the review.

Transparency in conflict of interest disclosure

The journal ensures that all conflict of interest are clearly disclosed and published as notes at the end of the articles. This helps to maintain transparency and allows readers to assess the potential impact of conflict of interest on the publication. All participants in the publication process – authors, reviewers, and editors – are required to adhere to this policy to ensure the ethical and honest communication of scientific research.