Conflict of Interest Policy

A conflict of interest is any financial, personal or institutional relationship that could influence, or be seen to influence, professional judgement about a manuscript. Disclosing one does not imply wrongdoing, but it is required for transparency.

Authors

Every article includes a "Conflict of interest" statement before the reference list, in which the authors state any relationship or funding that may relate to the work, or write: "The authors declare no conflict of interest." Funders are named in a "Funding" statement.

Reviewers

Reviewers decline to review a manuscript if they are related to the author, have supervised or recently collaborated with the author, are in direct competition with the author, or know the author's identity.

Editors

• An editor with an interest in a manuscript steps aside, and another member handles it.
• Editorial board members and journal staff do not use their positions for personal gain or benefit from manuscripts before publication.
• Communication with authors goes through the editorial office and the journal platform, not directly.
• No one working for the journal accepts gifts or favours from authors.

Submissions by editorial board members are handled under the Editorial Policy.