Economic Forum journal strives to ensure maximum transparency and objectivity throughout the publication process. To achieve this, all participants, including authors, reviewers, and editors, are required to disclose any potential conflict of interest. This policy is designed to prevent personal or financial interests from influencing the research outcomes and the decision-making process regarding publication, ensuring the credibility and scholarly integrity of the journal’s publications.
1. Conflict of interest from authors
Authors must disclose any potential conflict of interest at the time of submitting their manuscript. This includes both financial and non-financial conflicts:
- Financial conflicts may arise from direct employment relationships with organisations, honorariums, participation in funded projects, co-authorship of patents, etc.
- Non-financial conflicts may relate to personal relationships, academic competition, ideological or religious beliefs, which could influence the author's approach to the research.
All conflicts of interest must be clearly identified in the manuscript so that readers can assess whether such interests may have biased the study. Any disclosed conflict will be publicly stated at the end of the article in the Conflict of Interest note. If no conflict exists, the note will state “None”.
2. Conflict of interest from reviewers
Reviewers are required to declare any conflict of interest that may affect their ability to assess the manuscript objectively and without bias. Such conflicts may include:
- Financial or personal relationships with the author(s) or organisations involved in the research.
- Competition between the reviewer’s own research and the manuscript under review.
- Personal interest or bias stemming from friendships, rivalries, or professional relationships with the authors, which could influence the impartiality of the review.
If any of these conflicts are identified, the reviewer must notify the editorial office and withdraw from reviewing the manuscript.
3. Conflict of interest from editors
Editors must also disclose any potential conflict of interest that may affect their ability to make impartial decisions regarding articles. Conflict of interest may arise if:
- The editor has financial, personal, or academic ties to the author(s) or organisation submitting the article.
- The editor is a co-author of the article or works at the same institution as the authors.
- The editor’s involvement in the process could be perceived as biased or in conflict.
If such a conflict is identified, the editor is required to pass the manuscript on to another editor or involve an independent expert to make the final decision regarding publication.
4. Conflict of interest disclosure procedure
To maintain transparency and trust in the scientific process, all conflicts of interest must be declared and published at the end of each article as an appropriate note. This allows readers to obtain full information regarding any potential influences that may have impacted the objectivity of the publication.
All participants in the publication process – authors, reviewers, and editors – must adhere to this policy to preserve the integrity and independence of scholarly communication and ensure the high quality of scientific research published in the journal.
