Conflict of Interest Policy

Authors, reviewers and editors must disclose interests that could reasonably influence, or appear to influence, the work or its assessment.

Relevant interests include funding, employment, consultancy, patents, commercial reagents or technologies, close collaboration, personal relationships and direct scientific competition. A declared interest does not automatically prevent publication, but it must be managed transparently.

An editor with a relevant conflict will not handle the manuscript. Reviewers should decline when they cannot provide an independent assessment.