Conflicts of Interest Policy

Vexido Publications LLP is committed to maintaining the integrity and transparency of the publication process. This Conflicts of Interest Policy outlines the responsibilities of authors, reviewers, and editors in disclosing and managing potential conflicts of interest to ensure unbiased and ethical scholarly practices.

1. Definition of Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when an individual’s personal, financial, professional, or institutional relationships could:

  • Compromise their ability to perform their duties impartially.
  • Influence the interpretation of research findings or editorial decisions.

Examples of Conflicts of Interest:

  • Financial relationships such as funding, grants, or employment.
  • Professional affiliations, collaborations, or rivalries.
  • Personal relationships with authors, reviewers, or institutions involved in the manuscript.

2. Disclosure Requirements

2.1 Authors

Authors must disclose:

  • Sources of funding, grants, or financial support for the research.
  • Any financial or personal interests that could be perceived as influencing the research or its interpretation.
  • A statement of competing interests in the manuscript under the Competing Interests section.

2.2 Reviewers

Reviewers must disclose:

  • Any conflicts that could prevent an unbiased review, including personal or professional relationships with the authors.
  • Any involvement in competing research or projects.
  • Any financial ties related to the manuscript's topic.

2.3 Editors

Editors must disclose:

  • Conflicts of interest related to a manuscript, author(s), or funding body.
  • Recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where conflicts exist.

3. Managing Conflicts of Interest

3.1 Authors

  • Disclosures will be reviewed by the editorial team and published with the article if deemed relevant.
  • Failure to disclose conflicts may result in rejection or retraction of the manuscript.

3.2 Reviewers

  • If a conflict of interest is disclosed, the reviewer will be excused from the review process, and an alternate reviewer will be assigned.

3.3 Editors

  • Editors with conflicts will transfer editorial responsibilities for the manuscript to an unbiased editorial team member.

4. Publishing Disclosures

Competing interest statements will be published alongside articles to ensure transparency for readers. For example:

  • "The author(s) declare that no competing interests exist."
  • "The author(s) received funding from [Organization] for this research."

5. Consequences of Non-Disclosure

Failure to disclose conflicts of interest may result in:

  • Rejection of the manuscript during submission or review.
  • Retraction of published articles if undisclosed conflicts are discovered post-publication.
  • Notification to the author’s institution or funding agency.

6. Ethical Standards

This policy aligns with guidelines from:

  • COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics)
  • ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors)

7. Reporting Conflicts of Interest

Readers or stakeholders may report undisclosed conflicts of interest by contacting the editorial office.

8. Contact Information

For queries or concerns related to conflicts of interest, please contact:

Vexido Publications LLP is dedicated to fostering trust and accountability in academic publishing by ensuring transparency in conflicts of interest.