Competing Interests

Conflicts of interest (CI)  – these are the factors that negatively affect the objectivity, or can be perceived as interference in the process of peer review, editorial decision-making, publishing and presentation of the manuscript.

A conflict of interest may arise in relation to individuals or organizations, and is divided into the following categories (but not be limited to these):

Personal CI:

  • Personal relationships (eg, friends, family members, current or previous managers, opponents) with persons involved in the supply or reviewing manuscripts (authors, reviewers, editors, or members of the editorial board);
  • Personal beliefs (political, religious, ideological, etc.) related to the topic of the manuscript, may interfere with the objective process of the publication (in the stage of submission, review, editorial decision-making or publication).

Professional CI:

  • The reviewer or editor is the author's colleague, who participated or observed the conduct of the study.
  • Membership in organizations that lobby the interests of the author.

Financial CI:

  • Research grants from various funding organizations: governmental, non-governmental, research or charitable institutions.
  • Patent applications (actual or expected), including the application of institutions to which the author refers, and from which he can make a profit;
  • Fees, gifts and favors of any kind.

PROCEDURE:

  1. All persons involved in the manuscript, including authors, editors, reviewers and readers who comment on or evaluate the material, should report any conflict of interest.
  2. If, in the opinion of the editors, there are circumstances which may affect the impartial review of the material, the editors do not appeal to this reviewer. If a manuscript is submitted by the Editor-in-Chief, a member of the Editorial Board, or the Executive Secretary, such individuals shall be completely excluded from all editorial procedures related to the respective manuscript (including the initial assessment of the manuscript, selection of reviewers, communication with reviewers, editorial decision-making, and preparation of the manuscript for publication).To  ensure the independence and impartiality of the editorial process, the Editor-in-Chief shall appoint a Handling Editor from among the members of the Editorial Board who has no conflict of interest with the author of the manuscript. If the Editor-in-Chief is the author of the manuscript, the Handling Editor shall be appointed by the Editorial Board.
  3. Editorial Board reserves a right not to publish a manuscript, if the conflict of interests declaredby author puts objectivity and authenticity of research estimation under a threat.
  4. If the editorial board will reveal a conflict of interest that has not been declared upon submission - a manuscript may be rejected. If undeclared conflict of interest is discovered after publication, if necessary, the article can be corrected or removed.
  5. The editors reserve the right not to publish the manuscript if the declared conflict of interest jeopardizes the objectivity and reliability of the research evaluation.
  6. If the editors detect the presence of a conflict of interest that was not declared at the time of submission, the manuscript may be rejected.

  7. In the event that an undisclosed conflict of interest is identified, the Editorial Board shall investigate the circumstances of the case. Based on the results of the investigation and depending on the nature of the violation, the Editorial Board is obliged to take one or more of the following actions:
         - publish a correction;
         - publish an expression of concern;
         - retract the article;
         - notify the author's institution or other relevant competent organizations.