The journal is committed to ensuring objectivity and transparency in the publication process; therefore, all authors, reviewers and editors must declare any potential conflicts of interest. This policy aims to prevent conflicts of interest from influencing research outcomes and the decision-making process regarding publication.

Conflicts of interest on the part of authors

Authors must disclose all potential conflicts of interest at the time of submission. This applies to both financial relationships, such as direct employment, honoraria, shareholdings or patent ownership, and non-financial relationships, such as personal connections, academic rivalry, or ideological or religious beliefs. All conflicts must be clearly identified so that readers can judge whether the authors may have been subject to a particular bias and how this might have affected the work.

Conflicts of interest on the part of reviewers

Reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest that might affect their ability to evaluate the manuscript objectively. Reviewers must immediately inform the editorial team if:

1. They have financial or personal ties to the author(s) or organisations involved in the research.
2. There is direct competition between their own research and the manuscript they are reviewing.
3. There is a personal interest or bias (friendship, rivalry, etc.) that may affect the objectivity of the assessment.

If a conflict is identified, reviewers must decline to review the manuscript.

Conflicts of interest on the part of editors

Editors are also required to declare potential conflicts of interest that may affect their ability to make impartial decisions regarding articles. Editors must recuse themselves (withdraw) from the review of articles if:

1. They have financial, personal, academic or other ties to the author(s) or organisation that may create a conflict of interest.
2. They are co-authors of the article or work at the same institution as the author(s).
3. Their involvement in the process could be perceived as biased.

In such cases, the editor must refer the article to another editor or involve an independent expert.

The journal guarantees transparency in the disclosure of conflicts of interest, which, where applicable, are published as a note at the end of each article. All participants in the publication process (authors, reviewers, editors) are required to adhere to this policy to ensure the integrity and objectivity of scientific communication.