Conflict of Interest Policies

To enhance transparency and academic credibility, the journal adopts a clear policy for handling conflict of interest cases that may affect the impartiality of scientific research, the peer review process, or publishing decisions. We believe that full disclosure of any personal or institutional relationships or interests is essential to maintaining the integrity of scientific research.

Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest refers to any relationship or interest—personal, financial, or professional—that could potentially influence the objectivity of the research or its evaluation. Such cases include:

Authors: For example, receiving financial support from an entity related to the research topic.

Reviewers: Such as having a personal relationship or academic competition with one of the authors.

Editorial Board: For instance, having institutional ties that may benefit from the publication of the research findings.

Responsibilities of Involved Parties

Authors are required to:

Disclose any financial support received for conducting the research.

Declare any relationships or affiliations that might influence the study results, such as consultancy roles or stock ownership in related entities.

Inform the journal of any party that might have an interest in the publication of the research.

Reviewers and Editorial Board members are required to:

Refrain from participating in the evaluation of any research with which they have a conflict of interest.

Immediately report any potential conflict related to the research topic or authors.

Maintain confidentiality of information and avoid using it for personal purposes.

Procedures for Handling Conflicts of Interest

At submission: Authors are required to fill out a disclosure form for any potential conflicts.

During review: Any reviewer with a conflict of interest is excluded and replaced with an impartial alternative.

Before publication: If a conflict of interest is identified, a statement is attached to the published research to promote transparency.

In case of non-disclosure: If a conflict of interest is discovered post-publication, the journal may take actions such as retracting the article or imposing disciplinary measures.

Transparency as a Priority

We encourage all involved parties to voluntarily disclose any potential conflicts, affirming that transparency does not diminish the value of scientific contributions.