A conflict of interest exists where a financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationship could reasonably be seen to influence the judgement of an author, a reviewer, or an editor. The existence of such a relationship is not in itself improper; failing to disclose it is.

Authors

Every manuscript must carry a Conflict of Interest Statement, whether or not a conflict exists. Authors must disclose employment, consultancy, share ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications, and any funding or other relationship connected with the subject of the manuscript. Where the study uses data supplied by an organisation to which an author is connected, that connection and the role of the organisation must be stated.

Reviewers

Reviewers must decline an assignment where they have a conflict of interest that cannot be managed, for example where they work at the same institution as an author, have collaborated with an author in the last three years, or have a competing manuscript on the same topic. Where a reviewer is uncertain, the matter should be raised with the Editor before the review is undertaken.

Editors

An editor who has a conflict of interest in relation to a manuscript must take no part in the handling of that manuscript, and the Editor in Chief must assign it to another editor. Where the Editor in Chief is an author of the manuscript, or otherwise conflicted, the handling of that manuscript is delegated entirely to another member of the Editorial Board, and the Editor in Chief has no access to the decision.

The journal keeps a record of disclosures made during the handling of each manuscript within the journal platform.