The journal is committed to ensuring transparency, objectivity, and integrity throughout the publication process. All authors, reviewers, editors, and other individuals involved in manuscript evaluation and publication are expected to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that may influence their professional judgment or affect the credibility of the research.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial or non-financial relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research, its interpretation, or the reporting of results. Such relationships may include employment, consultancy, financial support, grants, honoraria, personal relationships, professional affiliations, institutional interests, intellectual property rights, or other competing interests.

A conflict of interest does not necessarily indicate misconduct or invalidate research findings. However, failure to disclose relevant interests may compromise transparency and public trust. Authors should provide a clear statement of any conflicts of interest during manuscript submission. If no conflicts exist, authors should explicitly state that they have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for identifying and disclosing all relevant competing interests that may affect their manuscript. Any financial support, sponsorship, or institutional involvement that may influence the research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or publication decision must be transparently reported. Authors must promptly inform the editorial office if a relevant conflict of interest is identified or arises after submission.

Responsibilities of Editors and Reviewers

Editors and reviewers must disclose any circumstances that could compromise their impartiality when handling or evaluating a manuscript. These circumstances may include personal relationships with the authors, direct competition, collaborative relationships, financial interests, institutional affiliations, or other professional connections that could affect their judgment.

Individuals with a significant conflict of interest must notify the editorial office and, where appropriate, decline the assignment or withdraw from the editorial decision-making process. The Editor-in-Chief or a designated editor will determine suitable measures to ensure that manuscript evaluation remains independent, fair, and objective.

Management of Conflicts of Interest

The editorial team will assess disclosed conflicts of interest and determine whether additional information, reassignment of reviewers or editors, disclosure in the published article, or other appropriate measures are necessary. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the nature and potential impact of the conflict on the integrity of the publication process.

If an undisclosed conflict of interest is identified after publication, the journal may request clarification from the authors and take appropriate corrective action. Depending on the circumstances, this may include publishing a correction, issuing an expression of concern, or taking other measures consistent with the journal's publication ethics policies.

Funding Disclosure

Authors must acknowledge all sources of financial support relevant to their research, including grants, institutional funding, and sponsorship from public or private organizations. Where applicable, authors should clarify the role of the funding source in the research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and decision to submit the work for publication. If the funder had no involvement in these activities, this should be stated explicitly.

Commitment to Transparency

The journal expects all parties involved in scholarly publishing to uphold transparency and accountability in disclosing competing interests. All disclosures will be handled responsibly and considered in accordance with the principles of fairness, confidentiality, editorial independence, and research integrity. The journal may refer to recognized publication ethics guidance, including that provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), when addressing complex cases.

By maintaining a clear and consistent conflict-of-interest policy, the journal aims to protect the credibility of published research, support impartial editorial decisions, and strengthen trust among authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and the wider academic community.