At SOCRATES Journal, a conflict of interest occurs when relationships or affiliations among authors, reviewers, or editors may hinder an impartial and unbiased assessment, review, or publication of a manuscript. Conflicts can be financial, non-financial, professional, or personal, involving organizations or individuals.

Authors

Authors must disclose any affiliations, relationships, or activities that could impact the integrity or objectivity of their research. This includes, but is not limited to, employment, consulting fees, research funding, stock ownership, patent licenses, honoraria, or advisory roles. All potential influences—financial, professional, or personal—must be reported as competing interests.

Failure to declare conflicts of interest may lead to the rejection of the manuscript. If undisclosed conflicts are found after publication, the journal will take necessary actions according to COPE guidelines, which may include retracting the article. Authors must submit a Competing Interest (CI) statement with their manuscript and update it throughout the publication process as needed.

Reviewers

Reviewers must disclose any relationships or activities that could affect their review of a manuscript. If potential conflicts exist, reviewers should recuse themselves from evaluating the manuscript. Reviewers must not use the peer review process for personal gain. To declare conflicts of interest, reviewers should use the designated form available in their reviewer portal.

Editors and Journal Staff

Editors of SOCRATES Journal must ensure that final manuscript decisions are made impartially, without financial, professional, or personal biases. Editorial staff involved in decision-making must disclose any financial interests and refrain from participating in decisions where conflicts arise. Information gained during manuscript handling must not be used for personal advantage. Editors submitting their own manuscripts should delegate the management of their submission to another editorial staff member and remain uninvolved in related discussions and decisions.

Additional Information

For more guidance on conflict of interest policies, ethical publication practices, and existing codes of conduct, please refer to: The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines on good publication practices and the Code of Conduct.