Current Psychosomatic Research
For Authors
Conflict of Interest

Conflict of Interest

 | Post date: 2022/06/28 | 
Conflict of Interest
The Current Psychosomatic Research journal, published by the Negah Institute for Scientific Communication and affiliated with Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, adheres to the ICMJE's guidelines on "Author Responsibilities - Conflicts of Interest." Authors are required to disclose any financial conflicts of interest or other influences that may impact the manuscript at the time of submission. Additionally, they must provide information about the funding sources for their work. All authors are expected to complete and sign the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest, and the submission of an article will only be considered upon completion of this form.

Journal’s conflict of interest policy
The integrity of the peer-review process and the reliability of published articles are influenced by how effectively conflicts of interest are managed during writing, peer review, and editorial decision-making. A conflict of interest arises when an author (or their institution), reviewer, or editor has financial or personal relationships that inappropriately influence their actions. These relationships, also known as dual commitments, competing interests, or competing loyalties, can range from insignificant to having a significant potential to affect judgment. It's important to note that not all relationships constitute an actual conflict of interest, but the potential for conflict exists regardless of an individual's belief that the relationship influences their scientific judgment. Financial relationships, such as employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, and paid expert testimony, are the most easily identifiable conflicts of interest and are most likely to undermine the credibility of the journal, the authors, and science itself. However, conflicts can also arise from personal relationships, academic competition, and intellectual passion.
In the peer-review and publication process of this journal, it is imperative that all participants fully disclose any relationships that may be perceived as potential conflicts of interest. This requirement extends to editorials and review articles, as identifying bias in these types of publications can be more challenging than in original research reports. Editors are authorized to consider the information provided in conflict-of-interest and financial interest statements when making editorial decisions. Should the journal editors find it necessary to assess the manuscript, they are expected to publish this information.

1. Potential conflicts of interest related to individual authors’ commitments
When submitting a manuscript, authors bear the responsibility of disclosing all financial and personal relationships that could potentially introduce bias into their work. To eliminate any ambiguity, authors are required to explicitly declare the existence of any potential conflicts. This declaration should be included in the manuscript on a dedicated conflict of interest notification page following the title page. Authors may provide additional details, if necessary, in a cover letter accompanying the manuscript.
Authors are required to disclose any individuals who provide writing or other assistance, as well as the funding source for this assistance. Investigators must also disclose any potential conflicts to study participants and indicate in the manuscript whether they have done so. Editors are responsible for determining whether to publish information disclosed by authors about potential conflicts. When in doubt, it is advisable to prioritize publication.

2. Potential conflicts of interest related to project support
Research studies are increasingly being funded by commercial firms, private foundations, and government entities. The terms and conditions of such funding have the potential to introduce bias and undermine the credibility of the research.
Researchers have a responsibility to ensure that their research findings are credible and to submit them for publication. They should not agree to any terms that would hinder their access to data, independent analysis, and the preparation and publication of manuscripts. Authors must clearly outline the role of the study sponsor in the design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of the study. If the sponsor had no involvement in these aspects, it should be stated. When sponsors are directly involved, it can introduce biases similar to methodological biases. In such cases, authors are required to disclose the sponsor's involvement in the Methods section of the manuscript.
In order to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the research published in Current Psychosomatic Research, authors of studies funded by agencies with a proprietary or financial interest in the outcome may be required to sign a statement affirming their full access to and responsibility for the study data and analysis. Before publication, the editors will scrutinize the study protocol and associated contracts. If a financial sponsor attempts to control the authors' right to publish, the editors retain the right to reject the article.
 
3. Potential conflicts of interest related to commitments of editors, journal staff, or reviewers
The Current Psychosomatic Research journal refrains from choosing external peer reviewers who may have conflicts of interest, such as individuals working in the same department or institution as the authors. Authors are given the opportunity to inform the editors of any individuals they believe should not review their manuscript due to potential conflicts of interest, typically related to their professional affiliations. In some cases, authors may need to provide an explanation or justification for their concerns, which is valuable information for editors when deciding whether to accommodate such requests.
Reviewers must inform journal editors about any conflicts of interest that could impact their evaluation of a manuscript. If there is a potential for bias, reviewers should abstain from assessing the specific manuscript. Similar to authors, reviewers' silence regarding potential conflicts may indicate undisclosed conflicts or the absence of conflicts. Therefore, reviewers should explicitly state the presence or absence of conflicts. Reviewers should only use their knowledge of the work after publication to advance their own interests.
Editors responsible for making final decisions on manuscripts should not have any personal, professional, or financial connections to the issues they are evaluating. If they are involved in making editorial decisions, other editorial staff members must inform them about their financial interests that could impact their editorial judgments and abstain from decisions where a conflict of interest exists. Editorial staff members are prohibited from using information obtained from working with manuscripts for personal gain. Furthermore, journal editors are required to regularly disclose any potential conflicts of interest related to the responsibilities of journal staff

© 2024 All Rights Reserved | Current Psychosomatic Research

Designed & Developed by : Yektaweb