The journal adheres to the principles of objectivity, independence, and transparency at every stage of the publication process. Authors, reviewers, and editors are therefore required to disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest. This policy is intended to prevent personal, financial, professional, or other interests from influencing research findings, the expert assessment of manuscripts, or editorial decision-making.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST INVOLVING AUTHORS
When submitting a manuscript, authors must inform the Editorial Office of all circumstances that may be regarded as a conflict of interest or that may affect the objectivity of the research presented.
Financial conflicts of interest may include employment relationships, the receipt of fees or other remuneration, ownership of shares or interests in companies, participation in commercial projects, receipt of grants or other financial support, and ownership of patents or patent applications related to the subject matter of the research.
Non-financial conflicts of interest may arise from personal or professional relationships, academic competition, hierarchical or employment-related dependence, or ideological, political, religious, or other beliefs that may potentially influence the content, interpretation, or presentation of the research findings.
All conflicts of interest must be disclosed clearly and in full so that readers can assess independently whether any circumstances existed that may have influenced the authors’ position or the conclusions of the study.
A “Conflict of Interest” section is included at the end of every published article. Where the authors have no relevant interests to declare, the following statement must be included: “The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST INVOLVING REVIEWERS
Reviewers must inform the Editorial Office of any circumstances that may cast doubt on their independence or their ability to assess a submitted manuscript objectively.
A reviewer must notify the Editorial Office immediately where:
- the reviewer has financial, personal, professional, or other relationships with the author, co-authors, or organisations involved in conducting the research;
- the subject matter or findings of the manuscript directly compete with the reviewer’s own research, projects, or professional interests;
- the reviewer has a personal interest, a friendship or conflict with the authors, an academic rivalry, a bias, or any other circumstances that may affect the impartiality of the expert assessment.
Where a conflict of interest is identified before or during the peer-review process, the reviewer must withdraw from further consideration of the manuscript and provide the Editorial Office with all information necessary to appoint another independent expert.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST INVOLVING EDITORS
Editors and members of the Editorial Board must also disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may affect the objective consideration of a manuscript or the decision concerning its publication.
An editor must withdraw from the consideration of an article where:
- the editor has financial, personal, professional, academic, or other connections with the author, co-authors, or the organisation in which the research was conducted;
- the editor is an author or co-author of the submitted article;
- the editor works at the same institution or within the same structural unit as the authors of the manuscript;
- the editor participated in preparing the research or advised the authors;
- the editor’s involvement in the editorial process may reasonably be perceived as biased or capable of affecting the independence of the decision.
In such cases, the manuscript must be assigned to another editor who has no conflict of interest or referred to an independent expert. A person who has declared a conflict of interest must not participate in selecting reviewers, discussing the manuscript, or making the final decision.
The journal ensures the transparent disclosure of conflicts of interest. Relevant information is published at the end of each article in a dedicated statement.
Compliance with this policy is mandatory for all participants in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors, and members of the Editorial Board. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest helps preserve trust in the journal, ensures the objectivity of editorial decisions, and supports the principles of honest and responsible scientific communication.