Conflict of Interest

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The journal strives to ensure objectivity and transparency in the publication process, so all authors, reviewers and editors are required to declare potential conflicts of interest. This policy is aimed at preventing the influence of conflicts of interest on research results and the publication decision-making process.

Conflicts of interest by authors

Authors are required to declare all possible conflicts of interest when submitting an article. This applies to both financial relationships, such as direct employment, fees, participation in companies or authorship of patents, and non-financial ones, such as personal connections, academic rivalry, ideological or religious beliefs. All conflicts should be clearly identified so that readers can judge whether the authors may be prone to a certain bias and how this may have affected the work. A note “Conflict of interest” will be published at the end of the article. In the absence of one, the note will indicate “None”.

Conflicts of Interest for Reviewers

Reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest that may affect their ability to objectively evaluate the manuscript. Reviewers must immediately notify the editorial office if:

  1. They have financial or personal ties to the author(s) or organizations involved in the research.
  2. There is direct competition between their own research and the manuscript they are reviewing.
  3. There is a personal interest or bias (friendship, rivalry, etc.) that may affect the objectivity of the evaluation.

If a conflict is identified, reviewers must decline to review the manuscript.

Conflicts of Interest for Editors

Editors are also required to declare potential conflicts of interest that may affect their ability to make unbiased decisions about articles. Editors should recuse themselves from consideration of articles if:

  1. They have financial, personal, academic or other relationships with the author(s) or organization that may create a conflict of interest.
  2. They are co-authors of the article or work at the same institution as the author(s).
  3. Their participation in the process may be perceived as biased.

In such cases, the editor should transfer the article to another editor or involve an independent expert.

The journal guarantees transparency in the disclosure of conflicts of interest, which are published in the form of a note at the end of each article. All participants in the publication process (authors, reviewers, editors) are obliged to adhere to this policy in order to ensure the integrity and objectivity of scientific communication.