Conflicts of Interest

This journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and ethical behavior in the publishing process. We follow the guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to address potential conflicts of interest and ensure fairness throughout the submission, review, and publication processes. Definition of Conflicts of Interest A conflict of interest arises when an individual or organization has relationships or interests—whether financial, personal, academic, or professional—that could influence or be perceived to influence their objectivity, impartiality, or decision-making in the research, review, editorial, or publishing processes. Identification of Conflicts of Interest Authors, reviewers, editors, and all other participants in the publication process must disclose any conflicts of interest that could be relevant to their involvement with the work. These conflicts may include, but are not limited to: Financial interests: Relationships with funding sources, ownership of stocks, employment, or consultancy that are related to the research. Personal relationships: Family ties or close personal relationships with individuals connected to the research or publication. Academic relationships: Collaborations or institutional ties that could influence objectivity or give rise to perceived bias. Competing affiliations: Links to organizations with competing interests that could affect the research or its outcomes. Intellectual property rights: Patents, copyrights, or intellectual property concerns tied to the research or publication. Handling Conflicts of Interest The journal is committed to addressing conflicts of interest with transparency and diligence. For Authors: Authors must declare all potential conflicts of interest when submitting a manuscript. Should any conflict arise after publication, authors are expected to notify the editorial board promptly, and corrective actions will be taken. For Reviewers: Reviewers must refrain from accepting invitations to review manuscripts where they have a conflict of interest. If a conflict becomes apparent during the review process, reviewers must notify the editorial board immediately. For Editors and Journal Staff: Editors and staff must recuse themselves from handling any manuscripts where they have a conflict of interest. In cases of uncertainty, the editorial board will make the final decision regarding the handling of conflicts. For Publishers: Publishers should ensure that editorial decisions are not swayed by financial interests or other competing factors. They must maintain transparency in the editorial process and address conflicts of interest within their organization. Transparency and Disclosure To maintain transparency, all conflicts of interest disclosed by authors, reviewers, editors, and other stakeholders will be made publicly available alongside the relevant articles. If an editor, reviewer, or stakeholder is also an author of a submitted manuscript, they will be excluded from the review process for that submission. Policy Review This policy will be periodically reviewed and updated to ensure that it remains effective and aligned with the best practices in scholarly publishing. Any changes to the policy will be communicated to relevant parties and published on the journal’s website.