Conflicts of Interest

AHRIE (Applied Health Research, Innovation & Education) requires the identification, disclosure, and transparent management of any conflict of interest that could influence, or reasonably be perceived as capable of influencing, the research, writing, review, editorial decision, or publication of a manuscript.

The existence of a conflict of interest does not necessarily indicate misconduct or automatically prevent publication. Disclosure enables the editorial team and readers to assess the work on an informed basis and protects the transparency and integrity of the scholarly process.

What is a conflict of interest?

A conflict of interest exists when a personal, professional, academic, institutional, intellectual, or financial relationship, activity, commitment, or interest could affect, or reasonably appear to affect, a person’s objectivity, independence, or judgment during the editorial process.

Conflicts may be actual, potential, or perceived and may include, but are not limited to:

• employment, consultancy work, fees, advisory roles, or committee membership;

• grants, contracts, funding, or material support;

• share ownership, commercial interests, or financial benefits;

• patents, patent applications, licenses, royalties, or intellectual property;

• personal, family, or professional relationships;

• academic rivalry, collaboration, or disagreement;

• institutional affiliations or participation in organizations with an interest in the subject;

• public positions, intellectual commitments, or beliefs that could affect interpretation of the work;

• any other circumstance that a reasonable person might consider relevant when assessing the independence of the process.

Author responsibilities

All authors must submit a conflict-of-interest declaration, even when they believe that no conflict exists.

The declaration must include relationships and activities that could reasonably be associated with the manuscript’s content. When in doubt, authors should disclose the circumstance and allow the editorial team to determine its relevance.

Authors must also report:

• all sources of funding and support received for the research or preparation of the manuscript;

• the names of funding institutions or organizations;

• the funders’ role in study design, data collection, analysis and interpretation, manuscript preparation, and the decision to submit for publication;

• any patent, patent application, license, or intellectual property right related to the work;

• any relationship or activity that could be interpreted as influencing the study.

When no conflicts exist, authors must include a statement equivalent to:

“The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to this work.”

When conflicts exist, they must be described clearly and specifically. For example:

“[Author’s name] reports receiving [type of relationship or support] from [organization]. The remaining authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to this work.”

The declaration may be requested during submission, evaluation, and before publication. Authors must update it if a new relationship or circumstance arises during the editorial process.

Funding and the role of sponsors

Receiving funding does not by itself indicate inappropriate conduct, but it must be disclosed transparently.

Authors must state whether the funding organization participated in:

• the design or planning of the study;

• data collection, management, analysis, or interpretation;

• preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript;

• the decision to submit the work for publication.

When the funder had no role in these activities, this must also be stated explicitly.

Reviewer responsibilities

Individuals invited to review a manuscript must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest before accepting the assignment.

They must decline the invitation when a personal, professional, academic, institutional, intellectual, or financial relationship could affect, or reasonably appear to affect, their objectivity.

Circumstances that must be disclosed include:

• current or recent collaboration with any of the authors;

• a mentoring, supervisory, subordinate, or dependent professional relationship;

• membership of the same institution, department, research group, or project when this could compromise independence;

• direct academic competition or significant personal disagreement;

• a financial or intellectual interest in the manuscript’s results;

• any relationship that could benefit or be harmed by publication of the work.

If a conflict is discovered after accepting the review, the reviewer must immediately notify the editor and suspend the evaluation until further instructions are received.

Editor responsibilities

Editors must disclose conflicts of interest related to manuscripts they handle and recuse themselves whenever their independence could be compromised.

A manuscript will be reassigned to another independent editor when:

• the editor is an author or collaborator;

• the editor has a relevant personal, professional, academic, or financial relationship with the authors;

• the editor belongs to the same research group or maintains a close collaboration with the authors;

• any other circumstance could affect, or reasonably appear to affect, the impartiality of the decision.

Manuscripts submitted by members of the editorial team, scientific committee, journal staff, or publisher will be subject to the same requirements and handled by an independent person with no conflict of interest.

Publisher responsibilities

Empresa de Capacitación Internacional ECI S.C., as the publisher of AHRIE, will respect the independence of the editorial team. Commercial, advertising, institutional, or financial interests will not determine the acceptance, rejection, or handling of manuscripts.

Advertising, sponsorship, or external support, if any, must remain separate from editorial decisions.

Publication of declarations

Conflict-of-interest and funding declarations will be included in the published article when applicable. The editorial team may request clarification or additional information before making a decision.

Publication of a declaration does not imply that AHRIE considers bias or misconduct to have occurred; it is a transparency measure.

Undisclosed conflicts

When a possible undisclosed conflict of interest is identified, AHRIE will request an explanation from the individuals involved and assess its nature, relevance, and impact on the editorial process or published article.

Depending on the timing and seriousness of the situation, the journal may:

• temporarily suspend the evaluation;

• reassign the manuscript to another editor or reviewer;

• require an updated declaration;

• reject the manuscript when intentional concealment or serious interference with the process is established;

• publish a correction or additional disclosure;

• issue an expression of concern or retraction when appropriate;

• report serious cases to the relevant institution or competent authority.

Measures will be proportionate and impartial, and the individuals involved will have an opportunity to provide explanations and evidence.

Updating disclosures

Authors, reviewers, and editors must report any relevant change arising during the editorial process. The obligation of transparency continues after publication when an undisclosed circumstance could affect the interpretation or credibility of the article.