Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest, also referred to as a competing interest, exists when financial, professional, personal, institutional, or other relationships or interests could reasonably be perceived to influence, or appear to influence, the objectivity, integrity, or impartiality of research, manuscript evaluation, editorial decisions, or publication. A conflict does not necessarily mean that a person has acted improperly; however, transparent disclosure is essential to enable appropriate assessment and management. This approach is consistent with the COPE Discussion Document on Handling Competing Interests.

Conflicts of interest may be actual, potential, or perceived. They may arise at any stage of research, manuscript preparation, peer review, editorial assessment, or publication. ORLI will assess disclosed interests in context and determine whether disclosure, additional safeguards, reassignment, or another appropriate measure is required. COPE recommends that journals define competing interests clearly and establish processes for handling them consistently (COPE Core Practices, “Conflicts of interest/Competing interests”).

Conflicts of interest may include, but are not limited to, the following categories:

Financial interests: employment, consultancy fees, honoraria, research grants, funding, paid expert services, stock ownership, patents, royalties, or other financial benefits connected with the research or its subject matter.

Personal or family relationships: close personal relationships, family relationships, personal disputes, or other connections that could affect impartial judgment.

Professional or institutional interests: employment, leadership roles, institutional affiliations, administrative responsibilities, or professional relationships with organizations that may benefit from or be affected by the publication.

Academic or competitive interests: professional rivalry, direct competition, collaboration, supervisory relationships, or other academic connections that could influence the assessment of a manuscript.

Intellectual property and commercial interests: ownership or development of patents, products, technologies, clinical interventions, or services relevant to the manuscript.

Other relevant interests: any other relationship, commitment, belief, or circumstance that could reasonably be perceived as affecting impartiality in research, peer review, or editorial decision-making.

These examples are intended to support disclosure rather than to establish that every listed relationship automatically prevents publication or participation in peer review. The journal will evaluate the relevance and potential impact of each declared interest. COPE's guidance emphasizes clear definitions and consistent procedures for identifying and managing competing interests (COPE Discussion Document on Handling Competing Interests).

All authors must disclose actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest when submitting a manuscript to ORLI. Disclosures must cover relevant financial and non-financial relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research, its interpretation, the preparation of the manuscript, or the decision to publish. Authors should provide sufficient details to allow the editors to assess the nature of the interest.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors have been informed of the disclosure requirements and that the declaration accurately reflects the interests of every author. Authors must not assume that a conflict is irrelevant merely because they believe it did not influence the research. COPE's guidance on handling competing interests supports clear disclosure procedures and consistent presentation of relevant interests in published articles.

Funding and sponsorship must be reported accurately in the appropriate funding statement. Authors should disclose the funder's role, where applicable, in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and the decision to submit or publish. Funding disclosure and conflict-of-interest disclosure serve related but distinct purposes; providing one does not automatically replace the other.

If no relevant conflict of interest exists, authors should include the following statement in the manuscript: “The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to this article.” Authors may use an equivalent statement consistent with the journal's submission requirements. The declaration must be truthful, and any relevant interest must be disclosed even if the authors believe it had no effect on the study.

Reviewers must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest as soon as they become aware of it, including before accepting a review invitation. Relevant interests may include financial relationships, close personal connections, current or recent institutional affiliations, collaborations, supervisory relationships, academic competition, or other circumstances that could compromise, or reasonably appear to compromise, an impartial assessment.

If a reviewer has a conflict that could affect the fairness or objectivity of the review, the reviewer must inform the editor and, where appropriate, decline the invitation. If the reviewer is uncertain whether a relationship constitutes a conflict, the reviewer should disclose the circumstances to the editor for assessment before proceeding. COPE's ethical editing guidance states that reviewers should declare competing interests and decline reviews where relevant relationships or connections may affect impartiality.

Reviewers must not use confidential manuscript information for personal, professional, or commercial advantage. Any newly identified conflict arising during the review process must be reported promptly to the editor so that appropriate action can be taken.

Editors and editorial board members must disclose relevant conflicts of interest and must not handle manuscripts where their interests could compromise, or reasonably appear to compromise, impartial editorial judgment. Relevant circumstances may include authorship of the manuscript, close collaboration with an author, shared institutional affiliation, financial or commercial interests, personal relationships, or direct academic competition.

When a conflict is identified, the editor must inform the Editor-in-Chief or another designated editor and withdraw from the assessment and decision-making process where appropriate. Editorial responsibility should be reassigned to an independent editor who has no relevant conflict. The conflicted editor must not influence reviewer selection, the assessment of reviews, or the final decision.

If the Editor-in-Chief has a conflict of interest, the manuscript must be handled by an appropriately independent editorial representative or another designated decision-maker. The journal must ensure that the manuscript receives a fair and independent review and that the conflicted individual does not control the outcome. COPE's Discussion Document on Handling Competing Interests addresses the need for appropriate management of competing interests and the disclosure of relevant interests in published work.

Editors and editorial board members who submit manuscripts to ORLI must be subject to the same editorial standards as other authors. Their manuscripts must be managed independently by an editor without a relevant conflict, and the editorial process must be documented sufficiently to demonstrate independent handling.

Authors must provide their conflict-of-interest declaration through the manuscript submission process and include the relevant statement in the manuscript where required. ORLI may request additional details or a signed declaration from authors, reviewers, or editors when necessary to clarify or document a potential conflict.

Disclosures must be sufficiently clear and specific to allow readers to understand the nature of the relevant interest. General statements that do not adequately describe a material relationship may require clarification. ORLI may request amendments to a declaration before proceeding with peer review or publication.

ORLI will include relevant author disclosures in the published article in accordance with its publication format and editorial requirements. COPE recommends that competing interests be clearly and consistently indicated in published papers and that journals establish procedures for handling interests identified during or after publication (COPE Discussion Document on Handling Competing Interests).

Disclosure does not automatically mean that a manuscript will be rejected or that an individual cannot participate in the publication process. ORLI will assess the nature of the interest, its relationship to the manuscript, the likelihood of influence, and whether safeguards can adequately protect the integrity of peer review and editorial decision-making.

Depending on the circumstances, appropriate measures may include recording the disclosure, publishing a declaration, requesting additional information, assigning an independent editor, selecting an alternative reviewer, restricting a conflicted individual's involvement, or requesting changes to the manuscript or disclosure statement.

Where a conflict cannot be adequately managed, ORLI may decline to proceed with the review or publication, or take other proportionate action. The journal will seek to ensure that decisions are based on scholarly quality, relevance, research integrity, and editorial standards rather than on undisclosed personal or financial interests. These procedures reflect COPE's recommendation that journals establish clear and consistently implemented processes for managing competing interests (COPE Core Practices).

If a potential undisclosed conflict is identified during submission or peer review, ORLI will assess the available information and contact the relevant author, reviewer, or editor for clarification. The individual will be given a reasonable opportunity to explain the circumstances and provide a complete declaration.

If an author confirms that a relevant interest was omitted, ORLI may require the competing-interest statement to be amended before the manuscript proceeds. If a reviewer or editor has an undisclosed conflict, the journal may replace the individual and reassess any affected editorial or peer-review activity.

Where the concern remains unresolved or raises a serious question about the integrity of the editorial process, ORLI may suspend consideration of the manuscript while further assessment is undertaken. These steps follow the approach outlined in the COPE flowchart on undisclosed conflicts of interest in a submitted manuscript.

If ORLI receives credible information that a published article contains an undisclosed conflict of interest, the journal will assess the concern and contact the relevant author or authors for an explanation. Where appropriate, ORLI may seek further information from the author's institution or another relevant body.

If a previously undisclosed interest is confirmed, ORLI will assess whether the omission affected the article's interpretation, the reliability of its findings, the peer-review process, or the editorial decision. Depending on the findings, the journal may publish a correction to the competing-interest statement, reassess the article, issue an expression of concern, or retract the article when justified.

Any action will be proportionate to the evidence and the effect of the undisclosed interest on the scholarly record. The journal will aim to communicate relevant outcomes transparently and maintain an appropriate link between the published article and any correction or other formal notice. These procedures are based on the COPE flowchart on undisclosed conflicts of interest in a published article and COPE's guidance on handling competing interests.

Authors, reviewers, readers, and other concerned parties may report suspected undisclosed conflicts of interest to the ORLI Editorial Office. Reports should provide a clear explanation of the concern and supporting information where available. ORLI will assess reports fairly and confidentially, taking into account the need to protect the integrity of the review process and the rights of the individuals involved.

Where a report concerns the conduct of an editor or another person responsible for handling the manuscript, the matter should be referred to an independent editorial representative or other appropriate authority who is not implicated in the concern. ORLI will document its assessment and take proportionate action where warranted.

Conflict-of-interest declarations and related correspondence will be handled confidentially to the extent reasonably possible, subject to the needs of a fair assessment, applicable legal requirements, and the journal's responsibility to maintain an accurate scholarly record.

ORLI will maintain appropriate records of declarations, requests for clarification, decisions about editorial reassignment, and any action taken in response to an identified conflict. Access to these records will be limited to individuals who need the information to perform their editorial or integrity-related responsibilities.