All participants in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, and editors, must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest that could affect the review, interpretation, or publication of a manuscript. Conflicts may be financial, personal, professional, institutional, or otherwise capable of influencing objectivity.

Authors must disclose relevant conflicts of interest and funding sources at the time of submission. Reviewers should declare any competing interests and decline review assignments when impartiality cannot be maintained. Editors and editorial board members must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict of interest exists.

Failure to disclose relevant conflicts of interest may result in corrective actions, including the publication of an Expression of Concern, article retraction, or other measures consistent with COPE guidelines. Transparency in the disclosure of competing interests is essential to maintaining the integrity and credibility of the scholarly record.