Conflicts of interest/Competing interests

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Ansis Publications is committed to transparency, fairness, and integrity in all aspects of research and publication. All authors, editors, and reviewers are required to disclose any interests financial, non-financial, personal, or professional that could directly or indirectly influence the research, peer review, or editorial decisions. This ensures readers can independently assess potential biases.

Author Responsibilities

Authors must disclose all relevant interests, including those within the last three years and any prior interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the work.

Types of interests to disclose include:

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Funding:

• Research grants, sponsorships, salaries, equipment, or reimbursements from organizations that could gain or lose financially from the publication.
• Include the funding source and grant number where applicable.
• If no funding was received, authors may state:
  • “The authors did not receive support from any organization for the work submitted.”
  • “No funding was received to support the preparation of this manuscript.”

Employment and Affiliations:

• Current or recent employment with organizations affected by the research outcomes.
• Multiple affiliations must be disclosed.

Financial Interests:

• Ownership of stocks or shares in relevant companies (including those held by spouses or dependents).
• Consultation fees, honoraria, or other compensation from organizations with a financial stake in the work.
• Patents or patent applications that may be influenced by the publication.

Non-Financial Interests:

• Positions on editorial boards, advisory boards, or boards of directors.
• Personal relationships, beliefs, or professional activities (consulting, expert testimony, mentoring) that could influence the work.

Disclosure Format:

• All declarations must be included in the “Declarations” section before the references.
• Include the following:
  • Funding
  • Conflicts of interest / Competing interests
  • Ethics approval and consent
  • Data and code availability
  • Author contributions

Examples of statements:

• Financial interests: Author A has received research support from Company A. Author B received a speaker honorarium from Company W and holds stock in Company X.
• Non-financial interests: Author C is an unpaid member of committee Z.
• No conflicts: “All authors confirm that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity that has a financial or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.”

Conflicts of interest/Competing interests with Editorial Board Members

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Editors and Reviewers

Editors and reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts before handling or reviewing manuscripts. Situations requiring recusal include:

• Recent collaboration or co-authorship with any author
• Shared institutional affiliations
• Personal relationships with authors
• Financial or professional interests related to the research

Management of Conflicts for Editorial Board Members

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Submissions from the Editor-in-Chief (EiC):

• Reviewed independently by other editors.
• The EiC does not participate in the decision-making process.

Submissions from Associate Editors or Editorial Board Members:

• Handled by alternate editors to ensure impartiality.
• The managing editor is not informed of the submitting editor’s identity.

Guest Editors for Special Issues:

• If conflicts arise (co-authorship, personal or professional connections), another editor oversees peer review and makes the final decision.

Purpose:

• Ensures that all manuscripts are evaluated fairly and objectively, regardless of personal or professional relationships between authors and editors.

Disclosure of Conflicts in Publication

• Declared conflicts are published alongside the article when relevant.
• Failure to disclose conflicts may result in editorial actions, including corrections, retractions, or sanctions.
• Authors, editors, and reviewers are accountable for the accuracy and completeness of their statements.

For further guidance, Ansis Publications follows COPE guidelines on conflicts of interest.