Conflicts of Interest Policy

The journal requires full disclosure of relevant conflicts for all participants:

• Authors: Upon submission, all authors must disclose any financial (grants, stocks, consultancies) or non-financial interests (personal relationships, academic competition) that could bias their work. These disclosures will appear in the published article. Undisclosed conflicts discovered later may lead to corrections.
• Reviewers and Editors: Anyone involved in peer review must similarly declare conflicts. Reviewers will be instructed to decline assignments if they have a potential conflict (e.g. competitive work). Editors will not handle manuscripts with conflicts (as described under Editorial Board). The journal’s Conflict of Interest policy page will detail examples and forms (e.g. link to ICMJE disclosure form) to ensure clarity.

By stating these policies, the journal meets the transparency criterion of DOAJ and COPE. For reference, COPE provides guidance on managing conflicts, which will inform our implementation.