Journal policy
Competing Interests Policy
Authors, reviewers and editors must disclose relationships or interests that could reasonably be perceived to influence their work.
What must be disclosed
- Financial relationships, employment, consultancies, honoraria, stocks, patents and commercial interests.
- Recent co-authorship, joint grants, supervisory or trainee relationships.
- Institutional, academic, political, ideological, personal or professional relationships.
- Any interest connected to the intervention, product, software, organization or conclusion under discussion.
Editorial response
A declared interest does not automatically prevent publication or participation. The editor assesses materiality and may request clarification, modify roles, appoint an independent editor, replace a reviewer, publish a disclosure or decline involvement. Undisclosed material conflicts may trigger correction, investigation or retraction.
Questions or concerns
Use the appropriate secure route when a matter requires a documented response.