Competing Interest Policy

Acta Solum requires authors, reviewers, and editors to disclose financial and non-financial interests that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, the conduct, reporting, assessment, or publication of research. Disclosure enables the journal to assess potential sources of bias and take appropriate measures to safeguard editorial independence.

The existence of a competing interest does not, in itself, imply misconduct or automatically preclude publication. Relevant interests must nevertheless be disclosed so that they can be assessed transparently.

1. Definition and Scope

Competing interests arise when personal, professional, financial, or other relationships could compromise, or reasonably appear to compromise, independent judgment concerning a manuscript.

Financial interests may include employment, consultancy fees, honoraria, paid expert testimony, research funding, travel support, stock ownership, royalties, patents, or patent applications connected to the subject of the manuscript.

Non-financial interests may include close personal relationships, professional rivalries, recent collaboration or co-authorship, supervisory relationships, institutional affiliations, editorial positions, and relevant leadership or advocacy roles. Political, ideological, religious, or intellectual commitments should be disclosed where they have a specific relationship to the work that could reasonably affect impartiality; disclosure of unrelated personal beliefs is not required.

2. Declaration by Authors

All authors must disclose relevant competing interests in the journal’s Author Declaration, which must be uploaded through OJS as a required submission document at the initial manuscript submission. This requirement applies whether or not competing interests exist. A blank or omitted statement will not be treated as confirmation that there are no competing interests.

The corresponding author is responsible for obtaining the relevant information from every co-author, ensuring that the declaration accurately identifies each author’s interests, and submitting it on behalf of all authors. Each author remains responsible for the completeness and accuracy of their own disclosure.

Where interests exist, the declaration must identify the author concerned, the relevant organization or relationship, and the nature of the interest. Authors must disclose interests relevant to the submitted work, including past relationships that remain pertinent and anticipated benefits that could reasonably affect interpretation.

Funding sources and the role of funders in the research and publication process must also be reported in the manuscript’s funding statement. A funding statement does not replace the competing interests declaration.

Submissions with an incomplete or missing Author Declaration will be returned for completion before proceeding to peer review. Authors must promptly notify the editorial office of any changes during assessment, revision, or production. For accepted manuscripts, a competing interests statement consistent with the final declaration will be included in the published article.

Example where no competing interests exist:

“The authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial competing interests relevant to the work reported in this article.”

Example where competing interests exist:

“[Author name] has received consultancy fees from [organization] in relation to [relevant activity]. [Author name] holds [relevant position or interest] in [organization]. The remaining authors declare no competing interests.”

3. Declaration by Reviewers

Reviewers must declare whether they have any relevant competing interests through OJS before commencing their review. The declaration must be provided through the competing interests field or communication facility designated by the journal in the OJS review workflow. Where an interest exists, reviewers must provide sufficient information for the handling editor to assess its implications.

Reviewers must decline an invitation when a relationship or interest would compromise impartial assessment. Examples include:

• Current employment at the same institution as an author.

• Close collaboration, co-authorship, joint grant involvement, or a supervisory relationship with an author within the preceding three years.

• A close personal relationship or serious professional conflict with an author.

• A direct financial interest in the findings or publication outcome.

• Closely overlapping unpublished work or another circumstance that prevents an independent evaluation.

Relationships outside the three-year period must also be disclosed if they remain relevant to impartiality.

If reviewers are uncertain whether an interest prevents them from reviewing, they must disclose it in OJS and seek the handling editor’s guidance before proceeding. If a competing interest becomes apparent after the review has begun, reviewers must pause their assessment and notify the editor promptly.

Reviewer declarations will be retained in the journal’s editorial records and handled confidentially, subject to applicable journal policies and legal obligations. They will not automatically be published with review reports. The absence of a declaration will not be interpreted as an affirmative statement that no competing interests exist.

Example where no competing interests exist:

“I declare that I have no financial or non-financial competing interests that could reasonably affect my impartial assessment of this manuscript.”

Example where an interest requires editorial assessment:

“I disclose the following relationship or interest that may be relevant to this review: [details]. I will await the handling editor’s guidance before proceeding.”

4. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors, including guest editors, must disclose relevant competing interests and withdraw from handling manuscripts where their impartiality could reasonably be questioned. Such manuscripts will be assigned to an editor without the relevant conflict.

Manuscripts submitted by members of the editorial team or editorial board will undergo the journal’s standard assessment and peer-review procedures under independent editorial handling. The author-editor will not select reviewers, supervise the review, or participate in the publication decision.

5. Management of Disclosed or Undisclosed Interests

The journal may request clarification or additional information and take proportionate measures, including appointing a different reviewer or editor, obtaining an independent assessment, or requiring a more complete disclosure.

Failure to disclose a relevant interest will be assessed according to its nature, significance, and potential effect on the work or editorial process. Where an omission is identified after publication, the journal will determine whether a correction or other action is warranted under its Corrections, Retractions, and Withdrawal policy. An undisclosed interest will not automatically result in retraction.

Questions about this policy may be directed to the editorial office at [email protected].