Conflict of Interest Disclosure Policy

Authors, reviewers, and managing editors are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest as early as possible - for instance, when submitting a manuscript or accepting a review assignment. A conflict of interest refers to any personal, professional, or financial interest that could introduce bias into the journal's publishing process.

Examples of conflicts of interest include:

• Financial support from commercial entities with a vested interest in the outcomes;
• Personal relationships that could compromise objectivity during review or publication;
• Professional competition that may affect the impartial evaluation of a manuscript.

The disclosure of a conflict of interest by an author does not automatically result in the manuscript being rejected. If it is discovered that an author has failed to disclose a conflict of interest during submission or review, the editor will determine the appropriate action, which may include issuing a correction or retracting the article.