Confidentiality and conflicts of interest
SCIENCE – International Journal is committed to maintaining the highest standards of confidentiality and transparency throughout the editorial and peer review process. The journal follows the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).
Confidentiality
-
All manuscripts submitted to the journal are treated as confidential documents.
-
Editors and editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, or publisher, as appropriate.
-
Reviewers must treat manuscripts received for review as confidential and must not share, discuss, or use the content for personal advantage.
-
Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used by editors or reviewers in their own research without the explicit written consent of the authors.
Confidentiality is maintained before, during, and after the peer review process.
Conflicts of Interest
-
A conflict of interest exists when professional judgment concerning a primary interest (such as the validity of research) may be influenced by a secondary interest (such as financial gain, personal relationships, or institutional affiliations).
-
Authors must disclose all financial and non-financial conflicts of interest that could be perceived as influencing the research or its interpretation.
-
Reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from reviewing manuscripts where such conflicts exist.
-
Editors must avoid handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest and must delegate editorial responsibility in such cases.
All conflicts of interest must be transparently disclosed in the manuscript or during the editorial process. If no conflicts exist, a formal statement declaring the absence of conflicts is required.
Management of Conflicts of Interest
-
Disclosed conflicts are evaluated by the editorial office and managed in accordance with journal policies and COPE guidelines.
-
Failure to disclose relevant conflicts of interest may result in editorial actions, including rejection, retraction, or notification of relevant institutions.
Final Statement
Maintaining confidentiality and transparent disclosure of conflicts of interest is essential to ensuring the integrity, credibility, and fairness of the publication process.
