Conflict of Interest Policy
Disclosure and Conflict of Interest
PJOTH is committed to maintaining transparency in the publication process and requires authors to disclose any potential conflicts of interest, whether financial or non-financial, that may influence the research outcomes or their interpretation.
All manuscripts must include a ‘Disclosure and Conflict of Interest’ statement after the acknowledgements section and before the references. If there is no conflict, the authors should include the following statement:
“The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.”
Failure to disclose competing interests may result in editorial rejection or post-publication action. PJOTH follows ICMJE’s guidance on conflict of interest and encourages authors to err on the side of full disclosure.
What Constitutes a Conflict of Interest?
A conflict of interest arises when an author’s objectivity or integrity in conducting, interpreting, or presenting research may be—or may appear to be—compromised by external factors. These can be broadly categorized as:
- Financial Conflicts of Interest
Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Receiving funding, salaries, honoraria, or reimbursements from organizations that may benefit financially from the publication
- Holding equity (stocks or shares) in companies linked to the research topic
- Holding or applying for patents related to the manuscript content
- Receiving support from entities that own or are applying for such patents
- Non-Financial Conflicts of Interest
These include personal, ideological, academic, political, religious, or professional relationships that may be perceived to bias the research. Examples include:
- Personal rivalry or close association with individuals or institutions involved in the peer-review process
- Strong professional or ideological positions that could influence research interpretation
Authors who are uncertain about whether a relationship or interest qualifies as a conflict should consult the PJOTH editorial office
