Conflict of interest policy

This policy exists to ensure that editorial decisions are based solely on the scientific and scholarly merit of submitted work, free from undue influence by financial or personal interests.

Author Disclosure

Authors must disclose, on the manuscript's title page, any relationship that could be perceived to influence the research or its interpretation, including:

• Funding sources for the research described
• Employment, consultancy, or advisory relationships relevant to the subject matter
• Stock ownership or other financial interest in an entity related to the research
• Personal relationships with individuals who could be affected by the publication

Where no conflict exists, authors should include an explicit statement to that effect (e.g., "The authors declare no conflicts of interest").

Reviewer and Editor Disclosure

Reviewers and editors must decline to handle a manuscript where they have:

• A close personal or professional relationship with any author
• A recent (within approximately 3 years) collaboration or shared institutional affiliation with any author
• A financial interest in the outcome of the research
• A competing or directly related unpublished manuscript of their own

Reviewers and editors are asked to disclose potential conflicts proactively when invited to handle a manuscript, rather than waiting to be asked.

How Disclosed Conflicts Are Handled

Disclosed author conflicts are evaluated by the handling editor; where relevant to a reader's interpretation of the findings, the conflict is stated in the published article. Reviewer or editor conflicts result in reassignment of the manuscript to an unconflicted reviewer or editor.

Undisclosed Conflicts

An undisclosed conflict discovered after publication is treated as a potential breach of publication ethics and handled under the Publication Ethics and Misconduct Policy, which may result in a published correction.