Publication Integrity & Ethics (PIE) was developed over a decade ago to address several areas of concern and promote real editorial freedom.Read more.
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Competing interests
A competing interest exists in the case when professional judgment in various matters is influenced by secondary interests. Usually, competing interests make it difficult to fulfil a duty impartially and there is a financial gain that undermines the ethical aspect of a person’s work.
Competing interest issues are particularly important in clinical research and trials, when they might negatively influence the welfare of the patient or subject or even the validity of the research.
In case of competing interests related to the editorial team, the best way to deal with them is full disclosure when authors or peer-reviewers suspect they might be in such a situation. While competing interests are inevitable, they might be avoided if those who are directly involved in the publishing sector are fully aware of the conflicts and the need to be honest and to disclose to the editor if such problems occur.
Authors should disclose three types of information relevant in order to avoid competing interests:
1. Any association with commercial entities or companies who provide support for the writing of the article or the research conducted.
2. Any association with a commercial entity or a company who has interest in the subject investigated or the subject of the article submitted to the journal.
3. All non-financial associations that may be considered as relevant.