Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence, or be perceived to influence, the integrity, objectivity, or interpretation of the academic work.

Conflicts of interest may be financial, institutional, professional, or personal in nature. They include, but are not limited to, financial relationships with public or private entities, institutional affiliations, participation in organizations or communities with direct interests in the subject of the manuscript, or any other situation that could introduce bias in the editorial or review process.

Authors are required to explicitly state whether any conflicts of interest exist. If none exist, this must be clearly declared.

Reviewers and editors must also recuse themselves from the evaluation or editorial decision-making process when a conflict of interest is present.