Conflict of Interest Policy

Conflict of Interest Policy

Thoughts Review is committed to maintaining transparency, fairness, and integrity throughout the scholarly publishing process. The journal recognizes that conflicts of interest may influence, or appear to influence, the objectivity and credibility of research and editorial decisions.

This policy establishes procedures for identifying, disclosing, and managing conflicts of interest involving authors, reviewers, editors, editorial board members, and other individuals involved in the publication process. It aligns with the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).

1. Scope

This policy applies to:

·         Authors

·         Reviewers

·         Editors

·         Editorial Board Members

·         Guest Editors

·         Journal Staff

·         Any individual involved in the editorial and publication process

All parties are expected to disclose any relationship or circumstance that could affect, or be perceived to affect, their impartiality and objectivity.

2. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when an individual's personal, professional, financial, institutional, or other relationships may influence, or may reasonably be perceived to influence, their judgment, decisions, or actions related to the publication process.

Conflicts may be:

1.      Financial – e.g., funding, grants, royalties, consulting fees, or ownership of relevant intellectual property.

2.      Professional – e.g., current or recent collaborations, employment, or supervisory relationships.

3.      Academic – e.g., institutional affiliations, competitive research interests, or academic rivalries.

4.      Personal – e.g., family relationships, close friendships, or personal disputes.

5.      Institutional – e.g., affiliation with an organization that may benefit from the publication.

6.      Intellectual – e.g., strong prior positions or beliefs that could affect objectivity.

3. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must disclose all relevant conflicts of interest at the time of manuscript submission.

Authors should disclose:

1)      Financial support or funding sources (including grant numbers, if applicable).

2)      Employment or institutional affiliations that may influence the research.

3)      Personal relationships or collaborations that may affect objectivity.

4)      Any other circumstances that could be perceived as a conflict.

5)      Relevant financial interests related to the subject matter of the manuscript.

Authors must provide a conflict of interest statement in their manuscript or submission documents. If no conflict exists, authors should clearly state:

> "The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest."

All funding sources must be disclosed in the manuscript, including the role of the funder (if any) in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment.

Reviewers should decline to review manuscripts if they:

               I.            Have a personal or professional relationship with the authors.

            II.            Have collaborated with the authors recently (normally within the past three years).

         III.            Have financial or institutional interests related to the research.

         IV.            Feel unable to provide an unbiased evaluation.

            V.            Have a competitive relationship with the authors or their institution.

Reviewers must conduct reviews objectively and independently. They must not use unpublished information from a manuscript for personal, academic, or professional advantage. If a reviewer becomes aware of a conflict after accepting an assignment, they should notify the editor immediately.

5. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors must manage manuscripts fairly and avoid situations where personal, professional, financial, or institutional interests may affect editorial decisions.

Editors should:

A.    Declare conflicts of interest to the editorial office.

B.     Remove themselves from decision-making when a conflict exists.

C.     Assign manuscripts to independent editors where appropriate.

D.    Ensure that editorial decisions are based solely on academic quality, originality, relevance, and ethical compliance.

E.     Avoid using confidential information obtained through their editorial role for personal benefit.

F.      Not allow commercial interests, personal relationships, or external pressure to influence decisions.

Where an editor has a relevant conflict, responsibility for the manuscript should be assigned to an appropriately independent editor, and this should be documented in the editorial records.

6. Responsibilities of Editorial Board Members and Journal Staff

Editorial Board Members and Journal Staff must disclose any circumstances that may compromise their independence or influence their responsibilities.

They must not use confidential information obtained through their role for personal, academic, or professional advantage. They must maintain the confidentiality of all manuscripts and editorial correspondence.

7. Handling Disclosed Conflicts

When a conflict of interest is identified, Thoughts Review may take appropriate measures, including:

a)      Assigning an alternative editor or reviewer.

b)      Requesting additional disclosures.

c)      Seeking an independent evaluation.

d)      Reassigning editorial responsibility.

e)      Taking corrective action if necessary.

The presence of a disclosed conflict does not automatically prevent publication; however, transparency and appropriate management are required. The journal will document how disclosed conflicts were managed.

8. Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

Failure to disclose a relevant conflict of interest may be considered a violation of publication ethics.

If an undisclosed conflict is discovered before publication, the journal may request additional information, reassign the manuscript, or take other appropriate editorial action.

If an undisclosed conflict is discovered after publication, the journal may take appropriate action, including:

a.       Publishing a correction.

b.      Issuing an editorial notice.

c.       Conducting further investigation.

d.      Retracting the article where necessary, in accordance with the journal's Corrections and Retractions Policy.

9. Funding Disclosure

Authors must disclose all sources of financial support, grants, sponsorships, or institutional assistance related to their research.

Funding information should be clearly stated in the manuscript, including the name of the funding body and any relevant grant or award numbers. If the funder had no role in the research, this should be stated.

10. Confidentiality and Integrity

All individuals involved in the publication process must maintain confidentiality and protect unpublished information.

Confidential information obtained during peer review or editorial activities must not be used for personal, academic, or professional benefit. This obligation continues after the review or editorial process has concluded.

11. Policy Compliance

Thoughts Review expects all contributors to comply with this Conflict of Interest Policy as part of its commitment to ethical, transparent, and responsible scholarly publishing.

The journal will periodically review this policy and its implementation to ensure continued alignment with evolving standards of research integrity and ethical publishing.

12. International Standards

This policy is developed in accordance with internationally recognized publication ethics principles and informed by the recommendations of:

               i.            Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)

             ii.            International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)

           iii.            Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)

           iv.            International scholarly publishing best practices

13. Policy Review

Thoughts Review periodically reviews and updates this policy to ensure continued alignment with evolving standards of research integrity and ethical publishing. The editorial team is responsible for implementing this policy consistently and for reviewing it when significant ethical concerns arise.

Contact

Questions or concerns regarding this Conflict of Interest Policy should be directed to the Thoughts Review editorial office using the official contact details published on the journal website.