All participants in the publication process must disclose any relationships or interests that could influence their work.

Definition

A conflict of interest exists when professional judgment may be influenced by financial, personal, academic, or institutional relationships.

For Authors

Authors are required to disclose all potential conflicts of interest at the time of manuscript submission. A conflict of interest exists when professional judgment concerning the validity or interpretation of research may be influenced, or perceived to be influenced, by secondary interests, including financial, personal, academic, or institutional relationships.

Authors must disclose, where applicable:

• All sources of funding and financial support
• Employment, consultancies, honoraria, or paid expert testimony
• Stock ownership, equity interests, or patents (granted or pending)
• Institutional affiliations or collaborations that may be perceived as influencing the work
• Any other relationships or activities that could be viewed as a potential conflict

A Conflict of Interest statement must be included in the manuscript under a dedicated section.

If no conflicts of interest exist, authors must explicitly state:

“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

All disclosures will be evaluated by the editorial office and, where appropriate, published alongside the article in the interest of transparency.

Failure to disclose relevant conflicts of interest may result in rejection of the manuscript, retraction of a published article, or other corrective actions in accordance with the journal’s ethical policies.

For Reviewers

Reviewers should decline assignments if a conflict exists, including recent collaboration or institutional affiliation.

For Editors

Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict of interest exists.

Transparency

Declared conflicts will be evaluated and disclosed where appropriate.