Conflicts of Interest Policy

Definition

A conflict of interest (COI) exists when a personal, financial, professional, or other relationship could reasonably be seen to influence the objectivity of a person's judgment. COIs do not necessarily imply wrongdoing; the obligation is transparency and proper management.

Authors

All authors must disclose, at the time of manuscript submission, any financial, personal, or professional relationships that could influence their research. This includes:

  • Employment, consultancies, or advisory board memberships with organisations that have an interest in the subject matter
  • Ownership of stocks or shares in relevant companies
  • Receipt of honoraria, speaker fees, or travel funding from relevant organisations
  • Receipt of research funding, equipment, or materials from relevant organisations
  • Patent applications or royalties related to the subject of the manuscript

Authors must complete a COI declaration in the cover letter. If no conflicts exist, authors must explicitly state: 'The authors declare no conflict of interest.'

Reviewers

Reviewers must decline to review a manuscript if they:

  • Have a direct personal or professional relationship with any author
  • Are employed by or have a financial interest in organisations with a stake in the outcome
  • Have previously collaborated with an author within the last three years
  • Have a known strong prior position for or against the work's central thesis

Reviewers must disclose any potential COI to the editor before undertaking a review. The editor will determine whether the reviewer should be excluded.

Editors

Editors (including the Editor-in-Chief and all Associate/Guest Editors) must:

  • Recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have a COI
  • Delegate such manuscripts to another editor without knowledge of the submission
  • Not use information from manuscripts under review for personal advantage
  • Declare all COIs to the publisher annually

An editor who is an author on a submitted manuscript must transfer handling responsibilities entirely to a designated deputy editor.

Publisher and Journal Staff

HM Publishers and journal staff must not influence editorial decisions for commercial gain. Business interests must not override editorial independence. Staff with a personal interest in a submitted manuscript must remove themselves from any related editorial process.

Handling Disclosed Conflicts

Disclosed COIs will be published in the article as a 'Conflicts of Interest' statement. If a COI is discovered after publication, the editor will assess whether a correction or retraction is required in accordance with the Corrections and Retractions Policy. Undisclosed COIs that are later identified will be treated as a breach of publication ethics and investigated under the Research Misconduct Investigation Procedure.

Contact for COI enquiries: editor.jpdmhd@gmail.com