Conflict of Interest

Purpose: The purpose of the GIRT's Conflict of Interest Policy is to ensure that all editorial decisions are made free from any undue influence or interference. This policy applies to everyone involved in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members.

Definition of Conflict of Interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual's personal interests or relationships could improperly influence (or appear to influence) their judgment or responsibilities in the publication process. Conflicts of interest can be financial, personal, or professional in nature.

Disclosure Requirements
Authors: Authors must disclose all potential conflicts of interest at the time of submission. This includes any financial, personal, or professional relationships that might be perceived as influencing the research. Disclosures should cover any relevant grants, funding, employment, affiliations, consultancies, stock ownership, or patent-licensing arrangements.

Reviewers: Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest that could bias their evaluation of a manuscript. If a significant conflict exists, they should recuse themselves from the review process. Reviewers should not use knowledge of the work, before its publication, to further their own interests.

Editors and Editorial Board Members: Editors and editorial board members must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from handling submissions where they have conflicts. Decisions to accept or reject a manuscript must be based solely on the paper's importance, originality, clarity, and relevance to the journal's scope.

Management of Conflicts of Interest
Upon disclosure of a potential conflict of interest, the GIRT will assess the nature and extent of the conflict to determine whether the involved party can participate in the review or publication process.
In cases where a conflict is deemed to affect the impartiality of a decision, the individual will be recused from participating in the publication process for that manuscript.
The journal reserves the right to publish any declared conflicts of interest alongside the article to ensure transparency with readers.

Reporting and Addressing Non-Compliance
Allegations of undisclosed conflicts of interest will be investigated by the journal. Appropriate actions, including corrections, retractions, or other remedies, will be taken based on the outcome of the investigation.

Policy Review and Updates
This policy will be reviewed periodically and updated as necessary to reflect best practices in managing conflicts of interest in scholarly publishing.