Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of interest in publishing arise when an individual holds conflicting or competing interests that could influence editorial decisions. These conflicts may be real, potential, or perceived, and they can affect objectivity in various ways, including personal, political, financial, academic, or religious interests. Catalyst Research Chronicles (CRC Journals) requires all authors and editors to disclose any existing or potential conflict of interest during manuscript submission or review assignments, ensuring a transparent and objective review process. We adhere to the COPE guidelines and flowcharts for managing conflicts of interest.

Definition of Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when a professional judgment, related to a primary interest (such as patient welfare or research validity), is influenced by a secondary interest (such as financial gain).

The most easily identifiable conflicts are financial, such as employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, patents, and paid expert testimony. These conflicts are most likely to undermine the credibility of the journal, authors, and science itself.

Conflicts can also arise due to personal relationships, rivalries, academic competition, or intellectual beliefs.

Author Responsibilities

All authors are required to provide a statement at the end of their manuscript disclosing any potential or existing conflicts of interest related to the work. If no conflict exists, the statement should read:

“The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.”

The corresponding author must ensure all co-authors are aware of the requirement and that they comply with the disclosure process.

Reviewer Responsibilities

When asked to review a manuscript, reviewers must disclose any associations that may present a conflict of interest. Reviewers should recuse themselves from evaluating a manuscript if they believe their conflict could impair their ability to form an impartial judgment or if there is a perception that they may not be impartial. If a reviewer has a potential conflict but believes it does not compromise their judgment, they must still disclose it to the editorial office. The editorial team will consider this disclosure when making decisions.

Editor, Board Members, Guest Editors, and Editorial Staff Responsibilities

Editors, board members, guest editors, and editorial staff must disclose any conflicts of interest when assigned to review a manuscript. If their interests might impair their ability to make an unbiased decision, they must inform the editorial office and, if necessary, withdraw from the review process. In some cases, they may need to delegate decisions or suggest the authors seek publication elsewhere. The Editor-in-Chief will assign another editor if required.

Manuscripts submitted by members of the editorial board or guest editors are handled separately by other editors, ensuring no involvement from the submitting editor in the decision-making or review process.

Funding Disclosure

All funding sources should be declared under the heading “Funding” at the end of the manuscript, including the name of the financially supporting bodies and any associated grant numbers in square brackets. Authors must describe the role of the study sponsor(s) in the study design, data collection, analysis and interpretation, writing of the report, and decision to submit the manuscript for publication, if applicable.