6. Conflict of Interest Policy

Purpose

The Pakistan Journal of Gastroenterology (PJG) is committed to ensuring transparency, integrity, and objectivity in scientific publishing. All authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members are required to disclose any relationships, activities, or interests that could inappropriately influence, or be perceived to influence, the research, peer-review process, editorial decisions, or publication of a manuscript.

This policy follows the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

6.1 Definition of Conflict of Interest

A Conflict of Interest (COI) exists when professional judgment concerning a primary interest, such as the validity of research or editorial decision-making, may be influenced by a secondary interest, whether financial or non-financial.

The existence of a conflict of interest does not necessarily prevent publication but must be fully disclosed to ensure transparency.

6.2 Author Disclosure

All authors must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could influence the work.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

Employment or consultancy.
Research grants or funding.
Honoraria or speaker fees.
Stock ownership or shareholding.
Patents or patent applications.
Advisory board membership.
Paid expert testimony.
Personal or family financial interests.
Institutional affiliations that may influence the study.

Authors must complete the Journal's Conflict of Interest declaration during manuscript submission.

6.3 Non-Financial Conflicts of Interest

Authors should also disclose relevant non-financial interests, including:

Academic competition.
Personal relationships.
Professional collaborations.
Political or religious beliefs directly related to the research.
Institutional commitments.
Intellectual or ideological interests.

Transparency regarding non-financial conflicts is equally important.

6.4 Conflict of Interest Statement

Every submitted manuscript must include a Conflict of Interest Statement before the References section.

Examples:

If conflicts exist:

Author A has received research funding from XYZ Pharmaceuticals. Author B serves as a consultant for ABC Medical Technologies. The remaining authors declare no competing interests.

If no conflicts exist:

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

6.5 Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers must disclose any conflict of interest before accepting a review assignment.

Reviewers should decline the invitation if they:

Have collaborated with any author within the recent past.
Work at the same institution as an author.
Have personal, financial, or professional relationships that could affect impartiality.
Have competing research interests that may influence their judgment.

Reviewers must maintain confidentiality and must not use unpublished information for personal or professional benefit.

6.6 Editorial Responsibilities

Editors and Editorial Board members must disclose any conflict of interest relating to a submitted manuscript.

Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where they:

Are authors or co-authors.
Have collaborated with the authors.
Have financial interests related to the manuscript.
Have personal or institutional relationships that may compromise impartiality.

Such manuscripts will be assigned to another qualified editor.

6.7 Funding and Sponsorship

Funding sources must be disclosed separately in the Funding Disclosure section.

Sponsors must not influence:

Study design.
Data collection.
Data analysis.
Interpretation of results.
Editorial decisions.
Manuscript preparation.

Authors should clearly describe the role of the funder, if any, in the research.

6.8 Editorial Assessment

The Editorial Office may request additional information if a disclosed conflict requires clarification.

Failure to disclose a relevant conflict of interest may result in:

Requests for correction.
Editorial investigation.
Rejection of the manuscript.
Publication of a correction.
Retraction of the published article where appropriate.

The Journal reserves the right to take appropriate action in accordance with COPE guidance.

6.9 Author Responsibility

The Corresponding Author is responsible for ensuring that:

Conflict of Interest declarations are obtained from all co-authors.
All relevant financial and non-financial interests are disclosed.
The Conflict of Interest Statement included in the manuscript is accurate and complete.

6.10 Policy Compliance

By submitting a manuscript, authors, reviewers, and editors acknowledge that they have read and agree to comply with this Conflict of Interest Policy.

Failure to provide accurate disclosures may constitute publication misconduct and may result in editorial action.