Conflict of Interest

Our journals are committed to ensuring transparency and objectivity in the publication process. Conflicts of interest can compromise the integrity of research and decision-making. This policy outlines how potential conflicts should be disclosed and managed to maintain the highest ethical standards.

Declaration of Potential Conflicts for Authors, Reviewers, and Editors

• Authors:

  • Authors must disclose any financial, personal, or professional relationships that could influence the research or its interpretation.
  • All funding sources, affiliations, and any other potential conflicts should be clearly stated in the manuscript under a "Conflict of Interest" section.
  • Examples of conflicts include but are not limited to:
    • Financial support from organizations with vested interests in the research.
    • Employment, consultancy, or ownership of stock in organizations relevant to the manuscript.

• Reviewers:

  • Reviewers must decline invitations to review if they have a conflict of interest with the authors, the research, or the funding sources.
  • Examples include:
    • Personal or professional relationships with the authors.
    • Financial interests in the outcomes of the research.
    • Competitive or collaborative relationships that could bias the review process.
  • Reviewers should disclose any conflicts of interest to the editorial office if identified after accepting a review invitation.

• Editors:

  • Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where they have a potential conflict of interest, such as:
    • Personal or professional relationships with the authors.
    • Financial interests in the research outcomes.
  • In such cases, the manuscript will be reassigned to another editor to ensure impartiality.

Steps to Resolve Conflicts if Identified

• For Authors:

  • If a conflict is disclosed or identified, the journal may:
    • Publish the conflict of interest statement alongside the article for transparency.
    • In cases of severe conflicts, reject the manuscript or request additional independent reviews.

• For Reviewers:

  • If a conflict is identified during the review process:
    • The reviewer will be replaced by another qualified reviewer without conflicts.
    • Reviews already provided by the conflicted reviewer will not be considered.

• For Editors:

  • If an editor’s conflict of interest is discovered:
    • The manuscript will be reassigned to another editor.
    • If the conflict influences a published article, the journal may issue an editorial statement or correction to maintain transparency.

Our commitment to identifying and addressing conflicts of interest ensures the credibility of the research we publish. For questions or concerns regarding this policy, please contact the journal's editorial office editorial@acadpub.com.