1. Why this policy matters
We believe that transparency is essential for maintaining trust in academic publishing. At the same time, transparency must be supported by clear procedures. This policy defines how conflicts of interest are identified, disclosed, and managed throughout the publication process.

2. What is a conflict of interest?
A conflict of interest (COI) exists when any personal, financial, institutional, or professional relationship could reasonably be perceived to influence the objectivity of an author, reviewer, or editor.
Conflicts may include, but are not limited to:
• financial support, grants, or funding;
• employment or institutional affiliation;
• personal or professional relationships;
• academic competition or intellectual rivalry.
All participants in the publication process are required to disclose relevant conflicts from the past three (3) years.

3. COI disclosure requirement
All submissions must include a Conflict of Interest statement at the time of submission.
Submissions without a COI statement will not be considered for review.
Authors must complete the COI disclosure field in the submission system.
If no conflict exists, authors must include the following statement:
“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

4. For Authors
Authors must disclose all relevant conflicts of interest, including:
• sources of funding and financial support;
• employment and institutional affiliations;
• financial relationships (consulting, honoraria, ownership, etc.);
• personal or professional relationships that could influence the work.
The COI statement must be included in the manuscript and will be published with the article.
The editorial office may request additional clarification if needed.
Authors COI declaration

5. For Reviewers
Reviewers must decline to review a manuscript if a conflict of interest exists, including:
• recent collaboration with any of the authors;
• affiliation with the same institution;
• personal or professional relationships;
• any situation that may compromise objectivity.
If a conflict becomes apparent during review, the reviewer must inform the editor immediately and withdraw if necessary.
Reviewer COI declaration

6. For Editors
Editors are responsible for ensuring an independent and unbiased review process.
Editors must not handle manuscripts in which they:
• are listed as authors;
• have collaborated with the authors;
• share institutional affiliation;
• have any other conflict of interest.
Editor COI declaration

Handling editor procedure:
If a conflict is identified, the manuscript will be reassigned to an independent handling editor with no relevant conflicts.
The reassignment is managed by the Editor-in-Chief or the editorial office, ensuring full independence in the decision-making process.

7. Publisher independence
The publisher does not interfere with editorial decisions.
All editorial decisions are made independently by the editorial board based solely on academic merit.
Any potential conflicts involving the publisher are managed to ensure they do not influence the editorial process.

8. How conflicts are handled
When a conflict of interest is identified, the journal will take appropriate measures, including:
• assigning a different editor or reviewer;
• requesting additional independent reviews;
• requiring additional disclosure or clarification;
• publishing the conflict alongside the article.
Each case is evaluated individually based on its nature and severity.

9. Verification and investigation
The editorial office may request further information regarding disclosed conflicts.
In cases of suspected undisclosed conflicts of interest, the journal may conduct an investigation and take appropriate action.

10. Failure to disclose
Failure to disclose a relevant conflict of interest is considered a serious breach of publication ethics.
Depending on the situation, this may result in:
• rejection of the manuscript;
• retraction of a published article;
• notification of institutions or funders;
• temporary or permanent restrictions on future submissions.

11. Transparency
All declared conflicts of interest will be published with the article.
This ensures that readers can interpret the research in its proper context.

12. Record keeping
All conflict of interest disclosures are recorded and maintained by the editorial office as part of the journal’s internal documentation.

13. Final note
This policy is based on widely accepted standards in academic publishing and will be updated as needed to reflect best practices.
For any questions, authors and reviewers are encouraged to contact the editorial office.