The European Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems (EJITS) is committed to maintaining the highest level of transparency and integrity in the research it publishes. To ensure the objectivity of the research process, all authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the results, interpretation, or decision-making process related to submitted manuscripts.

1. Definition of Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest (COI) exists when an individual’s financial, personal, professional, or institutional relationships may affect their objectivity in performing duties related to the submission, review, or publication of a manuscript. Conflicts of interest may be:

• Financial: Involvement in stocks, employment, consultancy, or funding from organizations that may benefit from the research findings.
• Personal: Relationships or family connections that could influence decision-making.
• Academic or Intellectual: Direct competition or collaboration in the same field that might impact impartiality.
• Institutional: Affiliations with institutions that might influence the research outcome or publication process.

2. Author Responsibilities

Authors must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest related to the manuscript at the time of submission. These include:

• Any financial support received from organizations with an interest in the outcome of the research.
• Personal or professional relationships that may affect the integrity of the research or its interpretation.
• Competing interests in intellectual property, patents, or commercial entities.

Authors are required to include a Conflicts of Interest section in their manuscript detailing any disclosures. If there are no conflicts to declare, the authors must state: “The authors declare no conflicts of interest.”

3. Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest before agreeing to review a manuscript. These may include:

• Relationships with any of the authors, such as previous collaboration or direct competition.
• Financial interests that could be affected by the outcome of the research.
• Any other circumstances that could influence their ability to provide an objective review.

If a conflict of interest is identified, the reviewer must notify the editorial team, and the manuscript will be reassigned to another reviewer. Reviewers must maintain confidentiality and should not use the unpublished information in their own research.

4. Editor Responsibilities

Editors and editorial board members must disclose any conflicts of interest that could influence editorial decisions. This includes:

• Personal or professional relationships with any of the authors or organizations involved.
• Financial interests that could be affected by the manuscript’s publication.
• Any other potential biases that could compromise the fairness of the editorial process.

In cases where the editor has a conflict of interest, they must recuse themselves from handling the manuscript. An alternative editor or editorial board member will be assigned to oversee the review process.

5. Institutional and Funding Disclosures

Authors must disclose the sources of funding for their research, including any grants or sponsorships received from commercial, governmental, or non-profit organizations. Authors must clearly state whether the funders had any role in:

• The design of the study
• Data collection, analysis, or interpretation
• Writing of the manuscript
• The decision to submit the manuscript for publication

6. Managing Conflicts of Interest

The editorial team of EJITS is responsible for managing conflicts of interest to ensure that the research published is free from bias. Steps include:

• Reassigning manuscripts if conflicts arise during the review or editorial process.
• Disclosing all reported conflicts of interest alongside published articles.
• Ensuring transparency in the funding and sponsorship of research.

If a conflict of interest is identified after publication, EJITS may publish a correction, retraction, or statement of concern to inform readers of the issue.

7. Consequences of Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

Failure to disclose conflicts of interest may lead to the following actions:

• Rejection or withdrawal of the manuscript during the review process.
• Retraction of the published article, with a notice of the undisclosed conflict of interest.
• Reporting of the issue to the authors’ institution or funding bodies.

8. Appeals

If authors, reviewers, or editors disagree with a conflict of interest determination, they may submit an appeal to the editorial board for further review. The editorial board will reassess the case impartially and make a final decision.