Conflict of Interest

The Journal recognizes that conflicts of interest may affect the objectivity of scholarly evaluation, editorial decision-making, or the perception of research results, and therefore must be disclosed.

Conflicts of interest may be financial, professional, institutional, personal, or of another nature.

All participants in the editorial process are required to disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest at the appropriate stage.

Authors

Authors must disclose all circumstances that may influence the interpretation of their research results, including sources of funding, institutional support, or other relationships that could be perceived as a conflict of interest.

Reviewers

Reviewers must decline to review a manuscript if they have any conflict of interest that may affect the objectivity or independence of their assessment.

Such conflicts may arise, in particular, where the reviewer:

has co-authored publications or participated in joint research projects with the author in recent years;

is affiliated with the same institution as the author or has a recent institutional connection;

is in a supervisory, subordinate, or shared research group relationship with the author;

has participated in the preparation, discussion, or prior evaluation of the manuscript;

is involved in the funding or implementation of the research or may have an interest in its outcomes;

has close personal or professional relationships with the author.

If a conflict of interest becomes apparent after the review process has begun, the reviewer must promptly inform the editorial office and withdraw from the review.

This list is not exhaustive and includes any circumstances that may compromise the reviewer’s independence, impartiality, or professional judgment.

Editorial Team

The editorial team ensures that conflicts of interest are avoided in the decision-making process.

Where a manuscript is submitted by the Editor-in-Chief or a member of the editorial board:

the manuscript is handled independently;
the respective individual is excluded from the editorial decision-making process;
peer review is conducted in accordance with standard procedures, ensuring independence and impartiality.

Individuals involved in editorial decision-making must recuse themselves from the process in the event of a conflict of interest.

Consequences of Non-Disclosure

Failure to disclose a conflict of interest may constitute grounds for rejection of the manuscript, replacement of reviewers, retraction of a published article, or other measures necessary to address the situation in accordance with the principles of academic integrity.