Conflicts of Interest
World Science is dedicated to maintaining transparency, integrity, and trust in the scientific publishing process. To ensure objectivity and impartiality, all participants in the publication process — authors, reviewers, and editors — are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest (COIs) that could influence the content, review, or editorial decision-making.
Definition of Conflict of Interest
A conflict of interest exists when an individual’s financial, personal, or professional affiliations could compromise — or be perceived to compromise — their objectivity, integrity, or judgment regarding the submission, review, or publication of a manuscript.
Conflicts may include but are not limited to:
- Financial interests: Employment, consultancy, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, grants, or patents.
- Personal relationships: Family, close friendships, or other personal relationships with authors, editors, or reviewers.
- Academic or professional affiliations: Institutional rivalries, membership in committees or boards, or recent co-authorship (within the last three years).
Authors’ Responsibilities
- All authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest in a dedicated section within the manuscript at the time of submission.
- If no conflicts exist, authors should state: “The authors declare no conflicts of interest.”
- Disclosure should include relevant financial relationships, funding sources, or institutional affiliations that may be perceived to influence the work.
- Any conflicts arising after submission must be reported promptly to the editorial office.
Reviewers’ Responsibilities
- Reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest that could affect their impartial assessment of a manuscript.
- Reviewers with conflicts must decline the review assignment and inform the editorial office immediately.
- Reviewers must not use confidential information obtained during peer review for personal or professional gain.
Editors’ Responsibilities
- Editors involved in manuscript decisions must recuse themselves if they have any conflict of interest with the authors or the content.
- Editors must ensure that manuscripts are evaluated fairly and objectively, without influence from personal or financial interests.
Editorial Action
Failure to disclose conflicts of interest may result in:
- Rejection of the manuscript.
- Retraction of a published article if the undisclosed conflict is discovered post-publication.
- Notification to the authors’ or reviewers’ affiliated institutions if warranted.
Funding Disclosure
Authors must provide full disclosure of all sources of financial support for the research and publication of the manuscript, including grant numbers and funding institutions, in the Funding Statement section of the manuscript.
Contact
For any questions regarding this policy or to disclose a potential conflict, please contact:
Email: editorial_office@rsglobal.pl
Publisher: RS Global Sp. z O.O., Poland
World Science is committed to fostering transparency and integrity in research and publishing, ensuring that all decisions are made free from bias or undue influence.
