Conflict of interest

1. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1.1. The Conflict of Interest Policy aims to ensure transparency, impartiality, and trust in the publications of the journal.

1.2. All participants in the editorial process are required to declare actual or potential conflicts of interest.

1.3. The Editorial Board adheres to the international recommendations of COPE and ICMJE regarding the identification and management of conflicts of interest.

2. KEY TERMS

Conflict of interest – a situation in which the professional judgment or actions of an author, reviewer, or editor may be improperly influenced (or appear to be influenced) by personal, financial, academic, political, or other interests.

Financial conflict of interest – receipt or expectation of receiving material benefits (money, fees, grants, company participation, patents, sponsorship) that may affect objectivity.

Non-financial conflict of interest – any relationships that may influence impartiality: personal, professional, academic, political, religious, or institutional.

Role conflict – a situation in which the same person simultaneously acts in several roles: author, reviewer, editor, project manager, etc.

Conflict of interest statement – an official declaration by an author, reviewer, or editor regarding the presence or absence of a conflict.

Undisclosed conflict of interest – a conflict that was not reported by a participant but in fact exists and may influence the editorial process.

Avoidance of conflict of interest – actions aimed at ensuring that a person with a potential conflict does not participate in decision-making or reviewing.

Management of conflict of interest – a set of measures aimed at ensuring transparency, proper documentation, and minimising the influence of the conflict on the editorial process.

Reviewer with a conflict of interest – a reviewer who has any relationships or interests that may call into question the objectivity of evaluation.

Editorial impartiality – a principle requiring editors to avoid any actions that may compromise the integrity and independence of decision-making.

Ethical obligations of the parties – the journal-established obligation of authors, reviewers, and editors to act honestly, transparently, and in accordance with international publishing ethics standards (COPE, ICMJE, etc.).

3. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST OF AUTHORS

3.1. Authors must disclose any financial or non-financial interests that may influence the results of the study, its interpretation, or its presentation.

3.2. Potential conflicts of interest of authors include:

  • funding of the research by companies or sponsors;

  • patents or patent applications related to the article;

  • consulting, lecture fees, participation in advisory boards;

  • academic disputes or competitive relationships;

  • family ties between authors or between an author and the editor/reviewer;

  • participation in projects that may affect objectivity.

3.3. If authors have no conflicts of interest, they must include the statement:
“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

4. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST OF REVIEWERS

4.1. Reviewers must decline the review if:

  • they have personal or professional relationships with the authors;

  • they are competitors or colleagues from the same institution;

  • they participated in the development of the research;

  • they cannot ensure objectivity due to personal, political, commercial, or ideological reasons.

4.2. Reviewers must not use unpublished materials from the manuscript in their own work.

4.3. Reviewers are required to inform the Editorial Board of any potential conflicts.

5. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST OF EDITORS

5.1. Editors must not participate in decision-making regarding a manuscript if:

  • they are the authors or co-authors of the article;

  • they have close personal or professional relationships with the authors;

  • they have a financial or institutional interest in the study results.

5.2. In such cases, the editor transfers the manuscript to another member of the Editorial Board.

5.3. Editors are required to declare their interests annually.

6. PROCEDURE FOR DISCLOSURE AND MANAGEMENT

6.1. Declaring conflicts of interest is mandatory at every stage of working with the manuscript.

6.2. Declarations must be submitted by:

  • authors – upon submission of the manuscript,

  • reviewers – upon receiving an invitation to review,

  • editors – internally on a regular basis.

6.3. If a conflict is detected, the Editorial Board may:

  • appoint another editor,

  • replace a reviewer,

  • request modification of the conflict of interest statement,

  • retract the article (if the conflict was deliberately concealed).

6.4. All declared conflicts are published in the article in a separate section.

7. CONSEQUENCES OF NON-DISCLOSURE

If after publication it becomes known that authors, reviewers, or editors intentionally concealed a conflict of interest, the Editorial Board may:

  • publish a Correction notice;

  • add a conflict of interest statement to the article;

  • retract the article;

  • inform the author’s institution or relevant authorities;

  • reject future submissions from the author for a specified period.

8. TRANSPARENCY FOR READERS

8.1. The journal publishes all conflict of interest information within the article or on a separate declarations page.

8.2. Readers have the right to receive accurate information about potential sources of bias.

9. FINAL PROVISIONS

9.1. This Policy enters into force upon approval.

9.2. The Editorial Board reserves the right to update the document in accordance with COPE, ICMJE, and international standards.

9.3. Any updates are published on the official website of the journal and become mandatory for all participants in the editorial process.

9.4. If any provisions contradict applicable law, the legal norms shall prevail.