Conflict of Interest Policy

Conflict of Interest Policy
As part of our commitment to scientific integrity and academic transparency, the journal has a clear policy for dealing with conflicts of interest that may affect the objectivity of research, the peer review process, or publication decisions. We believe that explicit disclosure of any personal or institutional relationships or interests is essential to maintaining the credibility of scientific work.
What is meant by a conflict of interest?
A conflict of interest occurs when there is a personal, financial, or academic relationship or interest that may—or is perceived to—affect the impartiality or evaluation of the research. This applies to:
• Authors: such as receiving funding from an entity related to the research topic.
• Reviewers: such as having a personal relationship or academic rivalry with the author.
• Editorial Board members: such as their affiliation with institutions that may benefit from publishing the research.
Responsibilities of Stakeholders
1. Authors must:
o Disclose any funding or financial support they have received for conducting the research.
o Mention any relationships with institutions or individuals that may influence the results of the research (such as consulting work or shares in related companies).
o Inform the journal of all parties that may benefit from publishing the research.
2. Reviewers and editorial board members must:
o refrain from participating in the review of any research in which they may have an interest.
o immediately report any relationship with the authors or the research topic.
o maintain confidentiality and refrain from exploiting information contained in the research for personal purposes.
How to Deal with Conflicts
• Submission Stage: Authors are required to complete a Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form.
• Review Stage: Any reviewer with a conflict of interest will be excluded and replaced by a neutral one.
• Publication Stage: A statement of conflict of interest (if any) will be published with the research to ensure transparency.
• In the event of non-disclosure: If it is later discovered that an undisclosed conflict exists, the research may be withdrawn or disciplinary action may be taken.
Transparency First
We encourage all parties to voluntarily disclose any potential interests, as this does not undermine the research but rather enhances the academic community's confidence in its integrity. We consider disclosure not an accusation, but rather a commitment to scientific ethics.