Policy statement
The GAERPSY is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity, transparency, and ethical publishing. All participants in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and editorial staff, must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest (COIs) that could compromise, or be reasonably perceived to compromise, the objectivity, credibility, or integrity of scholarly work. This policy is implemented in accordance with:
Scope of application
This policy applies to:
- Manuscript submission and peer review
- Editorial decision-making
- Special issues and guest editorships
- Post-publication corrections and retractions
All conflicts must be disclosed regardless of whether the individual believes the conflict influenced their judgment.
Disclosure requirements
Mandatory disclosure
All authors must include a Conflict-of-Interest Statement in the manuscript, placed immediately before the References section.
If no conflicts exist, the following statement is required:
“The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article.”
Disclosure is also required during submission through a standardised Conflict of Interest Declaration Form.
Financial conflicts of interest
A financial conflict of interest exists when an individual may benefit financially from the publication or outcomes of the research. These include, but are not limited to:
- Equity interests: Ownership of stocks, shares, or equity in organisations related to the research topic.
- Funding and sponsorship: Research supported by grants or funding from governments, foundations, commercial entities, or advocacy organisations.
- Consultancy and advisory roles: Paid or unpaid consultancy, advisory, or board memberships relevant to the research within the past three years.
- Patents and intellectual property: Ownership, applications, or licensing of patents or proprietary technologies related to the study.
- Political or institutional financial support: Donations, grants, or financial support from political parties, candidates, lobbying groups, or policy-driven institutions relevant to the research area.
- Honoraria and fees: Speaker fees, honoraria, publication incentives, or any form of remuneration associated with the research or its dissemination.
- Other financial relationships: Any additional financial relationship that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research.
Non-financial conflicts of interest
Non-financial conflicts must be disclosed with equal rigor. These include:
- Academic competition or rivalry: Situations involving direct competition, disputes, or adversarial academic relationships.
- Personal relationships: Family ties, close friendships, romantic relationships, or personal conflicts between authors, reviewers, or editors.
- Ideological or opinion-based conflicts: Strongly held views, advocacy roles, or public positions related to the manuscript’s subject matter.
- Intellectual commitments: Prior theoretical positions, editorial stances, or competing scholarly works that may bias judgment.
- Political, religious, or cultural beliefs: Belief systems that may influence interpretation, review, or editorial decisions.
Editorial responsibilities and recusal
- Editors must disclose any conflict of interest immediately upon identification.
- Editors with conflicts must recuse themselves entirely from the handling, review, and decision-making process of the affected manuscript.
- The manuscript will be reassigned to an independent editor with no competing interests.
- Editorial recusals are documented to ensure accountability and auditability.
Reviewer responsibilities
- Reviewers must declare conflicts of interest before accepting a review invitation.
- If a conflict is identified after acceptance, reviewers must notify the editor immediately and withdraw from the review.
- Reviewers are prohibited from using unpublished material for personal or professional advantage.
Enforcement and independent verification
Verification mechanisms
To ensure independence and credibility, the journal employs the following measures:
- Mandatory COI Declaration Forms for authors, editors, and reviewers.
- Cross-checking disclosures against:
- Funding acknowledgements
- Public grant databases
- Institutional affiliations
- Patent and intellectual property registries
- Random or targeted audits conducted by an independent research integrity or ethics committee not involved in editorial decisions.
Post-publication oversight
If undisclosed conflicts are identified after publication, the journal will initiate a formal investigation in line with COPE retraction and correction guidelines.
Possible outcomes include:
- Publication of a correction or editorial note
- Expression of concern
- Retraction of the article
- Notification to the author’s institution, funder, or relevant professional body
Sanctions for non-compliance
Failure to disclose conflicts of interest, whether intentional or negligent, may result in:
- Rejection or withdrawal of manuscripts
- Retraction of published articles
- Suspension or permanent prohibition from submitting or reviewing
- Reporting to affiliated institutions or ethics bodies
Transparency and public accountability
All declared conflicts of interest are published alongside the article to allow readers, indexers, and evaluators to make informed assessments of the research.
The GAERPSY treats transparency in conflict-of-interest disclosure as a core condition for publication.