Conflict of Interest

Conflict of Interest

A Conflict of Interest occurs when primary professional judgment regarding the integrity or validity of research may be unduly influenced by secondary interests. The existence of a potential conflict does not automatically imply wrongdoing, but full disclosure is mandatory so that readers and editors can independently evaluate the objectivity of the work. Conflicts of interest may be financial (such as stock ownership, consultancies, honoraria, patents, or commercial grants), personal (such as family relationships or academic rivalries), institutional, or ideological beliefs that could bias data interpretation.

All authors must attach a Conflict of Interest Statement prior to the References section upon submission. If no conflicts exist, authors must explicitly state that they have no competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the reported work. Furthermore, peer reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from the review process if they share recent collaborations, institutional affiliations, or direct competition with the authors. Editors must also maintain complete editorial independence by recusing themselves from handling manuscripts authored by departmental colleagues or close associates. If an undisclosed conflict comes to light after publication, the journal will follow COPE guidelines to issue a formal correction or execute an article retraction if the study's objectivity was severely compromised.