Conflict of Interest and Competing Interests

Trends in Scholarly Publishing (TSP) is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards. To safeguard the integrity and objectivity of published research, all authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any actual or perceived conflicts of interest (COI) or competing interests (CI) that could influence their work.

Definition of Conflict of Interest and Competing Interests

A conflict of interest (COI) or competing interest arises when personal, financial, or professional relationships could influence, or appear to influence, the design, conduct, review, or publication of research. According to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), both actual and perceived conflicts must be disclosed to ensure transparency and maintain reader trust.

Examples of competing interests include:

• Financial: employment, consultancy, honoraria, stock ownership, patents
• Personal: close family or romantic relationships, rivalries
• Professional: recent co-authorships, collaborations, academic or editorial positions, mentor-mentee relationships

Policy for Authors

• Authors must disclose all financial, personal, and professional interests that could be viewed as influencing their work.
• If no conflicts exist, authors must explicitly state: "The author(s) declare that they have no competing interests."
• Authors must confirm they have not entered into agreements with funders or sponsors that restrict access to data, influence the reporting of results, or require prior approval before publication.
• All financial support and the role of funders must be acknowledged in the manuscript.

Policy for Reviewers

• Reviewers must decline to review a manuscript if they have a conflict that could compromise impartiality (e.g., direct collaboration, recent co-authorship, personal rivalry).
• If uncertain, reviewers should contact the editorial office for guidance.
• Reviewers are prohibited from using, sharing, or citing unpublished material from manuscripts under review.

Policy for Editors

• Editors must disclose any competing interests related to a manuscript and recuse themselves from handling it. Another editor will be assigned to manage the submission.
• If a conflict is identified during the review or editorial process, the Editor-in-Chief will evaluate the situation and take appropriate action, which may include reassignment of the manuscript or further investigation.

TSP requires all individuals involved in the publication process to disclose relevant competing interests. All disclosures are reviewed by the editorial office and the Editorial Board, and corrective measures, including reassignment, rejection, or retraction, will be taken where necessary to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.