Journal of Applied Health Sciences (JAHS)

The Journal of Applied Health Sciences (JAHS) is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and ethical behavior in scientific publishing. A clear and complete declaration of Conflicts of Interest (COI) helps readers evaluate the objectivity, credibility, and independence of the work published.

This COI policy aligns with international standards, including the ICMJE Recommendations, COPE Best Practices, WAME Professional Standards, and the Scopus Publishing Ethics.

  1. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest occurs when professional judgment related to a primary concern, such as the validity of research, integrity of peer review, or editorial decision-making, might be affected by a secondary interest, which could be financial, personal, academic, political, or institutional.

Conflicts may be:

  • Financial
  • Non-financial
  • Personal
  • Academic/Professional
  • Institutional
  • Indirect or perceived
  1. Types of Conflicts of Interest

2.1 Financial COI

Includes but is not limited to:

  • Employment or consultancy
  • Honoraria, speaking fees
  • Research grants or funding
  • Stocks, equity, or stock options
  • Paid expert testimony
  • Patents or royalties
  • Paid advisory roles
  • Industry-sponsored travel or accommodations

2.2 Non-financial COI

Includes:

  • Personal beliefs, ideological commitments
  • Academic rivalry or competition
  • Personal relationships (family, friends, colleagues)
  • Professional relationships (current or past collaborators)
  • Political or religious affiliations influencing interpretation
  • Membership in advocacy groups related to the topic
  • Strong personal opinions or theoretical positions

2.3 Institutional COI

Occurs when:

  • Authors’ institutions may benefit financially or reputationally
  • Editors’ or reviewers’ institutions have competing interests
  • Funding bodies influence study design or reporting

2.4 Hidden / Perceived COI

Includes situations where:

  • The appearance of conflict may undermine trust
  • Authors are unsure whether a relationship constitutes COI — they must disclose it regardless
  1. Author Responsibilities

Authors must:

3.1 Submit a COI Disclosure Statement

Every submission must contain a mandatory COI statement.

If COI exists:

“Author A has received research funding from Company X. Author B serves on the advisory board of Organization Y.”

If no COI exists:

“The authors declare no conflicts of interest related to this work.”

3.2 Disclose ALL sources of financial and non-financial support

Including:

  • Funding agencies
  • Industry partnerships
  • Institutional incentives
  • Travel, equipment, materials
  • Indirect support (e.g., statistical assistance funded by a third party)

3.3 Describe funder involvement

Authors must specify whether funders:

  • Participated in study design
  • Influenced data collection or analysis
  • Influenced interpretation or manuscript preparation
  • Approved the final manuscript

3.4 Update disclosures

If conflicts arise after submission or during revision, authors must immediately inform the Editor-in-Chief.

  1. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors must:

4.1 Declare their own COI

For example:

  • Handling manuscripts from close colleagues
  • Manuscripts from their own institution
  • Manuscripts in which they have academic or financial ties

4.2 Recuse themselves

Editors must not make decisions on manuscripts for which they have:

  • Financial conflicts
  • Close personal relationships
  • Professional collaboration in the last 5 years
  • Active competition in the same research area

Another editor without a COI will be assigned.

4.3 Avoid editorial bias

Editorial decisions must be based solely on scientific merit, not:

  • Institutional affiliation
  • Nationality
  • Religion or ideology
  • Professional relationships
  1. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must:

5.1 Declare COI immediately upon invitation

Such as:

  • Personal relationship with the authors
  • Recent collaborations (<5 years)
  • Academic rivalry
  • Financial interests in outcomes
  • Institutional ties
  • Competing research projects

5.2 Decline the review if a significant COI exists

5.3 Maintain objectivity

Reviewers must:

  • Provide unbiased, evidence-based evaluations
  • Refrain from using information from the manuscript for personal advantage
  • Avoid delaying tactics for competitive reasons

5.4 Do not exploit confidential information

Reviewers must not:

  • Use unpublished data in their own work
  • Share manuscripts with others
  • Upload manuscripts to AI tools (per JAHS AI policy)
  1. How JAHS Manages Conflicts of Interest

6.1 At Submission

The submission system requires a COI statement.
Manuscripts without COI declarations will not proceed to review.

6.2 During Review

Editors:

  • Examine conflicts disclosed by authors
  • Assess potential reviewer conflicts
  • Assign unbiased reviewers

6.3 Before Acceptance

Editors verify:

  • COI is disclosed
  • Funding statements are included
  • Funders’ influence is transparent

6.4 After Publication

If undisclosed COI is discovered:

  • JAHS will publish a Correction or Expression of Concern
  • In severe cases, may issue a Retraction
  • Authors’ institutions may be notified
  • Future submissions may be restricted
  1. Examples of Conflicts of Interest

7.1 Disclosable COI

  • “My institution receives research funding from the manufacturer of the intervention.”
  • “I am a consultant for a company marketing similar technology.”
  • “One of the co-authors is my doctoral student.”
  • “I am an editorial board member of a competing journal.”

7.2 Situations that require recusal

  • Manuscript authored by spouse, partner, close collaborator
  • Manuscript contradicts or competes with the reviewer’s unpublished data
  • Reviewer or editor stands to gain financially from outcomes

7.3 Non-conflicts

  • General scientific interest
  • Having cited the author previously
  • Being in the same broad field without direct ties
  1. Transparency in Publication

JAHS will publish:

  • All COI statements within the article
  • Funding declarations
  • Corrections when COI was initially omitted
  • Retractions if COI affects research integrity significantly

COI information is permanently accessible and indexed.

  1. Enforcement and Sanctions

Failure to disclose a conflict of interest may result in:

  • Rejection of the manuscript
  • Retraction of a published article
  • Notification to the author’s institution or funders
  • Suspension of future submissions
  • Editorial sanctions

Intentional nondisclosure is considered research misconduct.

  1. Contact

Questions regarding this policy can be sent to:

Editor-in-Chief
Journal of Applied Health Sciences (JAHS)