Conflict of Interest Policy

A conflict of interest exists when a financial, professional, institutional or personal relationship could influence, or reasonably appear to influence, research or editorial judgment.

Authors

Every manuscript must include a conflict-of-interest statement. Authors must disclose relevant funding, employment, consultancy, honoraria, patents, stock ownership, provision of animals or products, close personal relationships and other interests connected to the work. If there is no conflict, the manuscript should state this.

Reviewers

A reviewer must decline an assignment when a relationship or competing interest could affect impartiality. Reviewers must not use confidential manuscript information for personal or professional advantage.

Editors

An editor must recuse from a manuscript involving the editor's own work, close collaborators, institution, family, financial interests or another material conflict. Another qualified editor will manage the submission independently.

Management

Disclosure does not automatically prevent publication. The handling editor determines whether disclosure, recusal, an independent review or another safeguard is required. Undisclosed conflicts discovered after publication may require a correction or other action.