Competing Interests Policy
Transparency regarding competing interests is essential to maintain trust in the scientific process and integrity in scholarly publishing. Authors, editors, and editorial staff are expected to disclose any interests that may be perceived to influence the research, analysis, or editorial decision-making process.
1. For Authors
Authors must disclose all financial and non-financial interests that are directly or indirectly related to the submitted work. Disclosures should cover the past three years prior to the start of the research. Interests outside this timeframe must also be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the work.
Disclosures do not imply wrongdoing but support transparency and allow readers to make informed judgments about potential bias.
Types of Interests to Disclose (including but not limited to):
- Funding: Include all research grants, institutional support, and other resources received (e.g., salaries, materials, travel reimbursement). Provide funder name and grant number.
- Employment: Past, current, or anticipated employment with organizations that may benefit or be affected by the publication.
- Financial Interests: Stock ownership, consultancy fees, honoraria, or intellectual property (patents/patent applications) that may be influenced by the work.
- Non-Financial Interests: Professional affiliations (e.g., editorial or advisory boards), personal beliefs, or relationships that could introduce bias.
2. Disclosure Requirements by Article Type
All research and review articles must include a clear conflict of interest statement. Editorials, commentaries, or other formats may also require a disclosure depending on content. When in doubt, consult the Editor-in-Chief.
In addition to manuscript disclosures, all funding information must be entered during manuscript submission in the peer review system and summarized in the Declarations section before the reference list.
3. Summary of Disclosure Statements
Disclosure statements must appear under the “Declarations” section of the manuscript and include the following:
Funding
Examples:
- “This work was supported by [Funder Name], Grant No. [XXXXX].”
- “Partial financial support was received from [Funder Name].”
- “No funding was received for this work.”
4. Conflicts of Interest / Competing Interests
Examples:
Financial Interests:
- “Author A has received research support from Company X. Author B owns shares in Company Y.”
- “The authors declare no financial interests relevant to this work.”
Non-Financial Interests:
- “Author C serves on the advisory board of Organization Z without compensation.”
- “The authors have no non-financial interests to disclose.”
When all authors have no relevant interests: “The authors declare no competing interests financial or non-financial related to this manuscript.”
Note: Authors are fully responsible for the accuracy of their statements. Non-compliance may lead to rejection or retraction.
5. For Editors and Editorial Board Members
Editorial Board Members, Guest Editors, and Editors must declare any competing interests and recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict exists. This includes:
- Prior co-authorship with any listed author
- Affiliation with the same institution
- Personal or financial relationships that could affect impartiality
If an editor is listed as an author on a submitted manuscript, this must be declared. Another impartial editor will be assigned to manage the peer review independently. All submissions from editorial members will be treated with the same standards as other submissions.
6. For Editorial Staff
NJET upholds the editorial independence of all its processes. Editorial staff must disclose to the publisher any financial or non-financial interests that could influence editorial decisions. Editorial decisions must be based solely on the quality, relevance, and scientific merit of the work. No performance-based incentives should compromise editorial integrity.