Conflict of Interest Policy for International Medical Journal of Health (IMJH)
ICMJE Conflict of Interest Standards
IMJH follows International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) guidelines for conflict of interest disclosure.
Policy Navigation
1. Definition & Scope
ICMJE Definition
A conflict of interest exists when professional judgment concerning a primary interest may be influenced by a secondary interest.
Primary Interests
- Research integrity
- Patient welfare
- Research validity
- Academic objectivity
Secondary Interests
- Financial gain
- Professional advancement
- Personal relationships
- Academic competition
2. Disclosure Requirements
| Who Must Disclose | What to Disclose | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| All Authors | All financial and non-financial relationships | Submission and publication |
| Reviewers | Conflicts with manuscript content/authors | Before review assignment |
| Editors | Conflicts with manuscripts under consideration | Before editorial handling |
| Editorial Board | Annual disclosure of all relationships | Annual renewal |
Disclosure Principle
When in doubt, disclose. Failure to disclose conflicts may result in manuscript rejection or article retraction.
3. Types of Conflicts
Financial Conflicts
- Employment or consultancy
- Stock ownership or options
- Patent applications/grants
- Research funding
- Travel grants
- Honoraria or speaking fees
- Expert testimony
- Board membership
Non-Financial Conflicts
- Personal relationships
- Academic competition
- Intellectual passion
- Political or religious beliefs
- Institutional affiliations
- Previous publication history
- Grant review relationships
- Editorial relationships
4. Conflict Management
Management Strategies
Disclosure Methods:
- ICMJE Disclosure Form submission
- Declaration in manuscript
- Separate conflict statement
- Publication of disclosures
Management Approaches:
- Full disclosure to readers
- Editorial recusal
- Independent review
- Publication of conflict statements
Transparency Principle: The primary management strategy is full transparency. Disclosed conflicts do not automatically disqualify work but allow readers to assess potential bias.
5. Reviewer & Editor Conflicts
| Role | Conflict Situations | Required Action |
|---|---|---|
| Reviewer | Previous collaboration with authors, direct competition, personal relationships | Decline review assignment |
| Associate Editor | Conflict with authors or content, institutional affiliation | Recuse from handling manuscript |
| Editor-in-Chief | Any conflict with submitted manuscript | Assign to independent editor |
| Editorial Board | Annual disclosure of all relationships | Update disclosure annually |
6. Consequences of Non-Compliance
For Authors
- Manuscript rejection
- Article retraction
- Publication of correction
- Author sanctions (1-3 year ban)
- Institutional notification
- Public notice of violation
For Reviewers/Editors
- Removal from review
- Suspension from editorial role
- Termination of board membership
- Notification to institution
- COPE notification if severe
- Publication of notice if needed
Policy Enforcement
IMJH follows COPE guidelines for conflict of interest violations. All allegations are investigated thoroughly. The presumption is for full disclosure - when uncertain, disclose.
Policy Summary
Key Requirements:
- ✓ Disclose ALL financial & non-financial conflicts
- ✓ Use ICMJE disclosure form
- ✓ Update disclosures annually
- ✓ When in doubt, disclose
- ✓ Recuse when conflicts exist
- ✓ Full transparency to readers