Authors should disclose, at the time of submission, information on financial conflicts of interest or other interests that may influence the manuscript. Authors should declare sources of funding for the work undertaken, too. Therefore, completion and signing the IJMPHS Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest is necessary for all authors and the articles submission won’t be accepted without filling this form.
Conflicts of Interest Policy in International Journal of Medical Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences
The public's trust in the peer-review process, as well as the legitimacy of published publications, are influenced by how well conflict of interest is managed throughout authorship, peer review, and editorial decision making. A conflict of interest arises when an author (or the author's institution), reviewer, or editor has financial or personal links that unduly influence (bias) his or her actions. These correlations range from minimal to significant potential for influencing judgment. Not all connections include a true conflict of interest. On the other hand, the possibility of conflict of interest exists regardless of whether an individual believes that the relationship influences his or her scientific judgment. Financial links (e.g., employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, and paid expert testimony) are the most obvious conflicts of interest and are most likely to destroy the credibility of the journal, the authors, and science itself. Conflicts can arise for a variety of reasons, including personal connections, academic competition, and intellectual passion. All participants in the International Journal of Medical Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences peer-review and publication process are required to disclose any ties that could be seen as potential conflicts of interest. Disclosure of such affiliations is also vital in editorials and review pieces, which might be more difficult to detect bias than original research papers. Editors may make editorial choices based on facts given in conflict of interest and financial interest disclosures. If the journal editors believe this material is useful for appraising the manuscript, they should publish it.
1. Potential Conflicts of Interest Related to IndividualAuthors’ Commitments
When authors submit a manuscript, whether an article or a letter, they are responsible for revealing any financial or personal affiliations that may influence their work. To avoid uncertainty, authors must clearly identify whether or not potential conflicts exist. Authors should do so on the manuscript's conflict-of-interest notice page, which precedes the title page, and provide more detail in a cover letter that accompanies the submission.
Authors should identify those who give writing or other assistance and disclose the source of the financing. Investigators must disclose any conflicts of interest to study participants and indicate whether they have done so in the article. Editors must also determine whether to publish information provided by authors on potential conflicts. If doubt exists, it is best to err on the side of publication.
2. Potential Conflicts of Interest Related to ProjectSupport
Individual studies are increasingly being funded by commercial firms, private foundations, and the government. The terms of this sponsorship have the potential to prejudice and discredit the research.
Scientists have an ethical obligation to present credible research findings for publication. Furthermore, as the individuals directly accountable for their work, researchers should not sign into agreements that limit their access to data and ability to analyze it freely, as well as produce and publish publications. The authors should identify the study sponsor's role, if any, in study design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, report writing, and the decision to submit the report for publication. If the supporting source has no role, the authors should indicate so. Biases that might arise when sponsors are directly involved in research are akin to methodological biases. In such circumstances, International Journal of Medical Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences editors will include information about the sponsor's involvement in the Methods section.
International Journal of Medical Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences editors may require authors of a study funded by an agency with a proprietary or financial interest in the outcome to sign a statement such as "I had full access to all of the data in this study and I take complete responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis." Before approving any project-specific studies for publication, the editors will evaluate copies of the protocol and/or contracts. The journal’s editors may choose not to consider an article if a sponsor has asserted control over the authors’ right to publish.
3. Potential Conflicts of Interest Related to Commitmentsof Editors, Journal Staff, or Reviewers
The editors of the International Journal of Medical Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences avoid selecting external peer reviewers who have clear potential conflicts of interest, such as those who work in the same department or institution as any of the authors. Authors frequently submit editors with the names of individuals who they believe should not be asked to review a manuscript due to potential, generally professional, conflicts of interest. When feasible, authors may be asked to explain or defend their concerns; this material is critical for editors in determining whether to honor such requests.
Reviewers for the International Journal of Medical Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences must disclose to the journal editors any conflicts of interest that may bias their judgment on the submission, and they must recuse themselves from evaluating individual manuscripts if there is a possibility of bias. As with authors, reviewers' silence on potential conflicts may indicate that either conflicts exist and the reviewer failed to declare them, or that conflicts do not exist. Reviewers must therefore be required to identify specifically whether or not conflicts occur. Reviewers must not utilize their knowledge of the work before to publication to serve their personal interests.
Editors of the International Journal of Medical Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences who make final article choices must have no personal, professional, or financial interest in any of the topics under consideration. Other members of the editorial staff who participate in editorial decisions must furnish editors with a current account of their financial interests (as they may relate to editorial judgments) and disqualify themselves from any decisions in which a conflict of interest arises. Editorial staff must not exploit information obtained while dealing with manuscripts for personal advantage. Journal editors should post periodical disclosure statements about any conflicts of interest arising from the obligations of journal staff.