Conflict of Interest

The journal is committed to ensuring transparency, fairness, and independence throughout the research and publication process. All authors, reviewers, editors, and other individuals involved in editorial decision-making are required to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that may influence, or appear to influence, their professional judgment.

A conflict of interest may arise from financial relationships, personal or professional relationships, academic competition, institutional affiliations, or other interests that could affect the objectivity of research, peer review, or editorial decisions. Such interests may include, but are not limited to, research funding, employment, consultancies, honoraria, paid expert testimony, intellectual property interests, personal relationships, and professional affiliations relevant to the submitted work.

Authors' Responsibilities                               

Authors must disclose all relevant financial and non-financial relationships or activities that could influence the design, conduct, analysis, interpretation, or reporting of their research. Any funding sources and the role of sponsors in the research process, manuscript preparation, and publication decisions must be clearly stated, where applicable.

If no relevant conflicts of interest exist, authors must include a statement such as: "The authors declare no conflict of interest."

Reviewers' Responsibilities

Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest that could compromise their impartiality and must decline the review assignment when such conflicts cannot be appropriately managed. Reviewers should not evaluate manuscripts involving close personal relationships, significant professional conflicts, direct competition, or other circumstances that may impair their independent judgment. Confidential information obtained during peer review must not be used for personal or professional advantage.

Editors' Responsibilities

Editors must disclose any conflicts of interest that may affect their editorial judgment. An editor who has a conflict of interest involving a submitted manuscript must withdraw from the editorial decision-making process and arrange for an independent editor to handle the manuscript. This requirement also applies to manuscripts authored or co-authored by an editor.

Disclosure and Management

All disclosed conflicts of interest will be assessed by the editorial team to determine whether appropriate measures are necessary. Depending on the circumstances, these measures may include reassignment of a reviewer or editor, additional disclosure statements, independent assessment, or other safeguards to protect the integrity of the editorial process.

The disclosure of a conflict of interest does not automatically constitute misconduct or disqualify a manuscript from publication. However, failure to disclose a relevant conflict, or the provision of misleading information regarding such a conflict, may result in editorial action in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies.

The journal may publish relevant conflict-of-interest declarations alongside the article to ensure transparency for readers. All disclosures will be handled consistently and in accordance with applicable publication ethics standards.

Through this policy, the journal seeks to maintain the credibility of scholarly communication and ensure that editorial decisions are based on scientific merit, methodological rigor, and ethical standards rather than undisclosed competing interests.