Types of interests
Relevant interests may be financial, professional, academic, personal, political, intellectual, or institutional. Examples include employment, consultancy, grants, patents, paid testimony, close collaboration, direct competition, personal relationships, or involvement in the work under review.
Authors
Authors must include a competing-interests statement, even when there is nothing to declare. Funding sources and the role of funders in study design, analysis, writing, and publication decisions must be stated separately.
Reviewers
Reviewers should decline an invitation when an interest could compromise impartial review. If uncertainty arises after accepting, the reviewer must contact the editor before continuing.
Editors
An editor with a relevant conflict must not handle or decide the manuscript. Responsibility will be transferred to another qualified editor. Submissions from editors, board members, or publisher staff must receive the same independent assessment as other submissions.
Undisclosed interests
If an undisclosed interest is identified, the journal will assess its relevance and impact. Action may include amending disclosures, changing editorial responsibility, reconsidering a decision, publishing a correction, or taking further action under the publication-ethics policy.