Conflict of Interest

This policy has been developed in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), including the COPE Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, and taking into account the approach of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) regarding the disclosure of financial and non-financial relationships.

Definition

A conflict of interest arises when professional judgment regarding a primary interest (reliability of research, objectivity of peer review, impartiality of editorial decisions) may be influenced by a secondary interest (financial gain, personal relationships, academic competition, administrative dependence, subordination, etc.).

Disclosure Procedure

Authors are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest when submitting a manuscript. The published article (Version of Record) must contain a conflict of interest declaration or a statement of its absence. Reviewers are required to notify the editorial office of any conflict of interest regarding the manuscript under review before commencing the review. Editors are required to recuse themselves from decision-making regarding manuscripts in respect of which they have a conflict of interest.

Resolution Procedure

In the event that a conflict of interest is identified at any stage of the editorial process, the following measures are applied: recusal of the editor or reviewer; appointment of an independent responsible editor to decide on the manuscript; appointment of independent reviewers; documentation of the grounds for the conflict and the decision taken.

Conflict of Interest in the Context of Administrative Dependence

Manuscripts submitted by persons who are in a relationship of administrative subordination with members of the editorial board (in particular subordinates, cadets, adjuncts, or postgraduate students under their academic supervision) are reviewed exclusively with the involvement of external reviewers who are not affiliated with the publishing institution.