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Competing Interests Policy |
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| | Post date: 2026/02/10 | |
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Overview
NFHD follows the ethical standards set by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) regarding the disclosure of competing interests.
All authors, editors, and reviewers must declare any potential competing interests that could be perceived as influencing the objectivity or integrity of their work. Transparency in disclosure ensures that readers can make informed judgments about possible biases.
Author Responsibilities
All submitted manuscripts must include a dedicated “Competing Interests” section at the end of the manuscript.
Authors must disclose all financial and non-financial competing interests relevant to the submitted work.
- If there are no competing interests, the statement should read:
“The author(s) declare that they have no competing interests.”
The journal reserves the right to request additional information or clarification from authors regarding their disclosures.
What Constitutes a Competing Interest?
A competing interest exists when an author’s interpretation of data, presentation of information, or conclusions could be influenced — or could reasonably be perceived to be influenced — by personal, financial, or professional relationships.
Financial Competing Interests
Financial competing interests may include (but are not limited to):
- Receiving reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that could gain or lose financially from publication of the manuscript.
- Holding stocks, shares, or other financial interests in an organization that may be affected by the publication.
- Holding, or applying for, patents related to the content of the manuscript.
- Receiving funding or financial support from organizations that hold or have applied for relevant patents.
Non-Financial Competing Interests
Non-financial competing interests may include (but are not limited to):
- Personal, political, religious, ideological, academic, or intellectual relationships that could inappropriately influence the work.
- Situations that could cause embarrassment or perceived bias if publicly disclosed.
Authors uncertain about whether a relationship constitutes a competing interest are encouraged to contact the Editorial Office for guidance.
Authors Affiliated with Commercial Organizations
Authors affiliated with pharmaceutical, food, biotechnology, or other commercial entities that sponsor research must clearly declare these relationships as competing interests at the time of submission.
They are expected to adhere to the Good Publication Practice guidelines for pharmaceutical companies (GPP 2022) to ensure responsible, transparent, and ethical reporting.
The journal does not accept advertorial content or materials that promote commercial products.
Editors, Guest Editors, and Editorial Board Members
All Editors, Guest Editors, and Editorial Board Members must declare any potential competing interests and must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict exists.
Conflicts may include — but are not limited to —:
- Having co-authored papers with any of the authors in the recent past,
- Belonging to the same institution, or
- Having a personal or professional relationship with one or more authors.
If an Editor, Guest Editor, or Editorial Board Member is listed as an author on a submitted manuscript, this must be declared within the manuscript’s competing interests' section.
In such cases, editorial responsibility will be transferred to another qualified member of the editorial team, and the manuscript will undergo the same independent peer review process as any other submission.
Editorial Board Members are welcome to submit their work to the journal. Their submissions will be handled without preferential treatment and evaluated solely on scientific merit.
Reviewers
Peer reviewers must disclose any potential competing interests prior to accepting an invitation to review a manuscript. Reviewers with conflicts will be recused from the review process to maintain impartiality and objectivity.
Editorial Staff
All members of the journal’s editorial office must disclose to their institution or employer any interests—financial or otherwise—that could influence, or appear to influence, editorial decisions.
The NFHD upholds strict editorial independence. Decisions regarding acceptance or rejection of manuscripts are based solely on scientific quality, originality, and relevance, and are never influenced by financial or institutional considerations.
Enforcement
Failure to disclose relevant competing interests at the time of submission may lead to editorial action, including rejection or retraction of the article in accordance with COPE guidelines.
Contact
For questions about what constitutes a competing interest or how to disclose it, authors may contact the Editorial Office at nfsr sbmu.ac.ir; nfsr.journalgmail.com
URL: www.nfsr.sbmu.ac.ir
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