Conflict of Interest Policy

1. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest occurs when authors, reviewers, or editors have financial, personal, or professional relationships that could inappropriately influence (bias) their actions or judgments in the publication process.

Conflicts of interest may arise from various sources, including financial relationships, institutional affiliations, personal relationships, academic competition, or intellectual beliefs.

2. Conflict of Interest for Authors

Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may influence the results, interpretation, or conclusions presented in their manuscript.

Examples of conflicts of interest include:

Financial support, grants, or funding from organizations that may benefit from the research results
Employment, consultancies, or advisory positions related to the research topic
Ownership of stocks or shares in companies related to the research
Personal relationships or academic collaborations that may influence interpretation of the research

All sources of funding and potential conflicts of interest must be clearly stated in the manuscript.

If no conflict of interest exists, authors should include the following statement:

“The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper.”

3. Conflict of Interest for Reviewers

Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest before agreeing to review a manuscript. Reviewers should decline the review invitation if they:

Have a personal or professional relationship with the authors
Work at the same institution as the authors
Have collaborated with the authors in recent years
Have any financial or academic interest that could affect their impartial evaluation

Reviewers are expected to evaluate manuscripts objectively and maintain confidentiality throughout the peer review process.

4. Conflict of Interest for Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring a fair and unbiased editorial process. Editors should recuse themselves from handling manuscripts if they have any conflict of interest with the authors, institutions, or research topics involved.

In such cases, the editorial responsibility will be transferred to another editor to maintain transparency and fairness in the review process.

5. Transparency and Ethical Standards

This journal is committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in scholarly publishing. All participants in the publication process—including authors, reviewers, and editors—are expected to disclose any potential conflicts of interest and adhere to ethical publishing practices in accordance with internationally recognized standards.