A conflict of interest is understood as anything that interferes, or may interfere, with the full, proper, and objective process of reviewing and deciding on the publication of research articles or other materials.

A conflict of interest is considered to exist if persons involved in the editorial process are in personal or other relationships with one another that could potentially compromise them, hinder objectivity, or influence decisions related to publication.

During the editorial process, the following relationships between the Editor-in-Chief and/or handling editors, reviewers, and authors constitute a conflict of interest:

the author and the handling editor and/or reviewer work in the same research group or department;

the author is a postgraduate student and the reviewer is the academic supervisor.

When submitting an article, the author must disclose all possible conflicts of interest with the journal’s editors. After manuscripts have been assigned for review, reviewers are asked to inform the editor of any conflicts that may arise.

The author designated by the co-authors as responsible for correspondence with the editorial office (the corresponding author) must declare any conflicts of interest on behalf of all authors.

A conflict of interest may also be related to employment, sources of funding, personal financial interests, membership in relevant organizations, or other circumstances that may create bias and affect decision-making by the responsible parties.

Reviewers must not evaluate manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions associated with the manuscript.

Editors must not edit or handle manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, or with companies or institutions related to the research.

Any declarations of conflict of interest made by authors, reviewers, or editors shall be considered by the handling editor and/or the Editor-in-Chief of the journal. Where well-founded declarations concern a conflict of interest involving the Editor-in-Chief, such declarations shall be reviewed with the participation of two members of the journal’s editorial board.