Conflict of Interest Disclosure

All authors, reviewers, and editors are required to disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest, which are transparently managed in accordance with COPE and ICMJE guidelines.

SCIENCE – International Journal is committed to ensuring transparency, objectivity, and integrity in the editorial and publication process. The journal follows the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) regarding the disclosure and management of conflicts of interest.

Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when professional judgment concerning a primary interest (such as the validity, integrity, or interpretation of research) may be influenced, or reasonably perceived to be influenced, by a secondary interest. Such interests may be financial or non-financial, personal, professional, or institutional.

Authors

  • All authors must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could influence the research, its interpretation, or its presentation.

  • Disclosures must be provided at the time of submission and included in a dedicated Conflict of Interest statement within the manuscript.

  • If no conflicts of interest exist, authors must explicitly state:
    “The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

Examples of conflicts include, but are not limited to:

  • employment, consultancies, honoraria, or grants;

  • stock ownership or options;

  • patents or patent applications;

  • personal or professional relationships;

  • institutional affiliations that could be perceived as influencing the work.

Reviewers

  • Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest that could compromise their objectivity.

  • Reviewers should decline the review invitation if a conflict exists or could reasonably be perceived to exist.

  • Reviewers must not use unpublished information obtained during the review process for personal advantage.

Editors

  • Editors must avoid handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest.

  • In such cases, editorial responsibility will be delegated to another qualified editor.

  • Editors must not use unpublished information for personal research or benefit.

Management of Conflicts of Interest

  • All 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

Transparent disclosure and appropriate management of conflicts of interest are essential to maintaining trust in the scholarly record and ensuring the credibility of the publication process.