Transparency regarding interests that could influence or bias research is a foundational ethical requirement in scholarly publishing. PQ requires disclosure from all parties involved: authors, editors, and reviewers.
Author Disclosure Requirements
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could potentially influence or bias their work (Competing Interests/Conflicts of Interest). This applies to interests present within the last three years of beginning the research and preparation of the manuscript, as well as any interests outside that timeframe that could still be reasonably perceived as influencing the work. Authors are required to refer to and complete the official Declaration of Competing Interests Form (https://zenodo.org/records/17764062/files/Declaration_Competing_Interests_Form.docx?download=1) and submit it concurrently with their manuscript submission.
Definition of Potential Competing Interests: Disclosure should cover both financial and non-financial interests. Examples include, but are not limited to:
|
Category |
Examples of Interests to Disclose |
Supporting Sources |
|
Financial Interests |
Employment (recent, present, or anticipated); Consultancies; Stock ownership (including holdings of family members); Honoraria or consultation fees; Paid expert testimony; Patent applications or registrations; Grants, research support, or other funding provided by sponsors. |
|
|
Non-financial Interests |
Professional interests, personal relationships, or personal beliefs that could impart bias; Position on an editorial board or advisory board; Direct academic competition; Mentoring relationships. |
The 'Embarrassment Test': A practical guideline for disclosure is asking whether an arrangement would be embarrassing to the author or co-authors if it became publicly known after publication without prior declaration.
Submission Requirement: Authors are required to upload a signed Conflicts of Interest form with their submission. This disclosure should also be summarized in a statement placed in a designated "Declarations" section of the manuscript before the reference list. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring all co-authors comply with this policy.
Editorial and Reviewer Competing Interests
Editors: Editors, Editorial Board Members, and Guest Editors must declare any potential conflicts in writing prior to appointment and update them as new conflicts arise. They must exclude themselves from handling manuscripts that they have authored, or which were written by family members or colleagues, or that relate to products/services in which they have an interest. Such submissions must be handled independently by another editor.
Reviewers: Reviewers must declare any potential conflicts of interest to the editor before agreeing to review a manuscript. If a conflict exists (e.g., recent collaboration or shared institution with an author), they should discuss with the editor whether they need to recuse themselves to ensure an objective assessment. Reviewers are also prohibited from suggesting citations to their own work (or their associates’ work) unless justified by genuine scholarly reasons.