21. Declaration of interests Declare any potential conflicts of interest, including financial and non-financial. If none exist, this should be stated. explanation
A competing or conflict of interest is anything that interferes with (or could be perceived as interfering with) the full and objective presentation, analysis, and interpretation of the research. Competing or conflicts of interest can be financial or non-financial, professional or personal. They can exist in institutions, in teams, or with individuals. Potential competing interests are considered in peer review, editorial and publication decisions; the aim is to ensure transparency, and in most cases, a declaration of a conflict of interest does not obstruct the publication or review process.
Examples are provided below. If unsure, declare all potential conflicts, including both perceived and real conflicts of interest [1].
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Financial: Funding and other payments received or expected by the authors directly arising from the publication of the study, or funding or other payments from an organisation with an interest in the outcome of the work. Non-financial: Research that may benefit the individual or institution in terms of goods in kind. This includes unpaid advisory position in a government, non-government organisation or commercial organisations. Affiliations: Employed by, on the advisory board or a member of an organisation with an interest in the outcome of the work. Intellectual property: Patents or trademarks owned by someone or their organisation. This also includes the potential exploitation of the scientific advance being reported for the institution, the authors, or the research funders. Personal: Friends, family, relationships, and other close personal connections to people who may potentially benefit financially or in other ways from the research. Ideology: Beliefs or activism (e.g. political or religious) relevant to the work. Membership of a relevant advocacy or lobbying organisation. |
References
- Bero L, Anglemyer A, Vesterinen H and Krauth D (2016). The relationship between study sponsorship, risks of bias, and research outcomes in atrazine exposure studies conducted in non-human animals: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Environment International. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2015.10.011