Competing interests (COI) Policy

We require all authors, reviewers, and editorial board members to disclose any competing interests (COI) that may influence their judgement or actions in conducting or reporting research. COI may include financial, personal, or professional relationships or interests that could be perceived as influencing the research process or results.

Types of COI that may arise in medical research publications include:

  1. Financial interests: such as funding from companies that produce products related to the research, employment or consultancy relationships, and ownership or investments in relevant companies.
  2. Personal interests: such as personal or political beliefs that may influence the research, or personal relationships with individuals or organisations related to the research.
  3. Professional interests: Such as academic or career advancement, which may be influenced by the publication of research results.

Before publication, the editorial team reviews the COI declaration form that authors are required to complete. If a COI exists, it will be disclosed in the manuscript, and the editorial team will take it into account when assessing the manuscript's validity and relevance.

Completing interest of reviewers

Reviewers are asked to disclose any COI that could influence their review of a manuscript. If a COI exists, the editorial team will take it into account when considering the reviewer's comments.

Completing interest of editorial board members

Editorial members are required to disclose any COI that may influence their decision-making or actions related to the journal. If a COI exists, the editorial team will take appropriate measures to manage the COI and ensure that the journal's content remains impartial and of high quality.

Disclosure of competing interests

We believe that transparency in disclosing COI is essential for ensuring the integrity and credibility of our journal's content. Therefore, we require all individuals involved in the publication process to disclose any COI and manage them appropriately.

We reserve the right to request additional information or clarification from authors, reviewers, or editorial members regarding their COI declaration.