Conflict of Interest Policy

Conflict of Interest Policy

Asian Pacific Journal of Health Sciences [APJHS] is committed to maintaining the highest standards of transparency, objectivity, editorial independence, and ethical publishing. To preserve the integrity of the scholarly record, all participants in the publication process—including authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members—are required to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could influence, or reasonably appear to influence, their professional judgment.

Disclosure of conflicts of interest promotes transparency and enables informed editorial decisions. The existence of a conflict of interest does not necessarily preclude publication; however, undisclosed conflicts may compromise the integrity of the editorial process.

Definition of a Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when financial, professional, institutional, personal, or other relationships may compromise—or reasonably be perceived to compromise—the objectivity, integrity, or impartiality of research, peer review, or editorial decision-making.

Conflicts of interest may be:

Financial.
Professional.
Institutional.
Personal.
Academic.
Intellectual.
Political.
Commercial.

They may arise before, during, or after the publication process.

Authors' Responsibilities

Authors are required to disclose all relationships or activities that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the reported research.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

Research grants or financial support.
Employment or institutional appointments.
Consultancy agreements.
Honoraria or speaker fees.
Stock ownership or equity interests.
Patent applications or intellectual property rights.
Advisory board memberships.
Commercial affiliations.
Personal or family relationships relevant to the research.

A Conflict of Interest Statement must be included in every submitted manuscript.

If no conflicts exist, authors should state:

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Authors must also disclose the role of funding organizations, if any, in:

Study design.
Data collection.
Data analysis.
Interpretation of results.
Manuscript preparation.
Publication decisions.

Reviewers' Responsibilities

Reviewers must conduct reviews objectively, fairly, and confidentially.

Before accepting a review invitation, reviewers should disclose any circumstances that may affect their impartiality.

Reviewers should decline review assignments involving:

Current or recent collaborators.
Former supervisors or students.
Close colleagues.
Personal relationships.
Institutional conflicts.
Financial interests.
Competitive research activities.

Reviewers must not use unpublished information obtained during peer review for personal or professional advantage.

Editors' Responsibilities

Editors and Editorial Board members must disclose any conflicts of interest related to submitted manuscripts.

Editors must not handle manuscripts in which they have:

Financial interests.
Personal relationships.
Institutional conflicts.
Collaborative relationships.
Competitive interests.

Where a conflict exists, the manuscript will be reassigned to another qualified editor to ensure an independent and impartial editorial process.

Editorial decisions must be based solely on:

Scientific merit.
Originality.
Methodological quality.
Ethical compliance.
Relevance to the journal's aims and scope.

Funding Disclosure

Authors must disclose all sources of financial support received for the research.

Funding information should include:

Funding organization.
Grant number (where applicable).
Institutional support.
Commercial sponsorship.
Other financial assistance.

Authors should clearly describe the involvement of the funding organization in the research and publication process.

If no external funding was received, authors should state:

The authors received no specific funding for this work.

Editorial Assessment

All disclosed conflicts of interest are reviewed by the Editorial Board during the editorial process.

Where appropriate, conflict of interest disclosures may be published with the article to ensure transparency for readers.

The existence of a disclosed conflict does not automatically prevent publication, provided that appropriate safeguards are implemented to preserve editorial independence.

Policy Violations

Failure to disclose relevant conflicts of interest may constitute a breach of publication ethics.

Depending on the severity of the omission, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:

Request clarification from the authors.
Suspend editorial processing.
Reject the manuscript.
Publish a correction.
Publish an expression of concern.
Retract the published article.
Notify relevant institutions, funding agencies, or research organizations where appropriate.

Such actions are undertaken in accordance with internationally recognized ethical guidelines.

Declaration Requirement

All authors are required to submit a Conflict of Interest Declaration during manuscript submission.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the disclosure statement.

Compliance with International Standards

Asian Pacific Journal of Health Sciences [APJHS] follows internationally recognized recommendations for the disclosure and management of conflicts of interest, including guidance from: