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Conflict of Interest



Standards & Policies

Version: 1.0 | Last updated: 2026-03-05

The publisher requires the disclosure and proper management of conflicts of interest to ensure the transparency of the publishing process and the impartiality of decisions. A conflict of interest in itself does not necessarily lead to the rejection of a publication, but failure to disclose it or attempts to influence the peer review process are treated as a serious breach of ethical standards.

Definition of a conflict of interest

A conflict of interest is a situation in which relationships or benefits may (or may be perceived as potentially) influence the objectivity of the assessment, the editorial decision or the presentation of research results.

Authors, reviewers and editors are required to disclose any conflicts of interest, in particular:

  • financial [if the decision to publish could affect someone’s funding, contracts, remuneration or financial interests (e.g. grants, contracts, shares, etc.) – this constitutes a conflict of interest and must be disclosed];
  • institutional [if there is a supervisor–subordinate relationship or other institutional dependency between the parties that may create pressure (promotion, appraisal, task allocation, joint project within the same organisation) – this constitutes a conflict of interest];
  • personal [if the parties share a close private relationship (family, partnership, close friendship) or there is a serious dispute – this constitutes a conflict of interest, even if someone considers themselves objective];
  • academic [if the reviewer and author are in direct academic competition (similar topic, a ‘race’ for priority, recent co-authorship/shared team) – this constitutes a conflict of interest].

If a conflict of interest is identified, the person involved may be excluded from the decision-making process. The publisher follows an approach consistent with COPE best practices, in particular regarding:

  • transparent disclosure of conflicts of interest by authors, reviewers and editors,
  • exclusion from the process of those involved in a conflict,
  • documentation of decisions and ensuring the impartiality of the procedure.

Authors’ responsibilities

Authors are required to:
  • disclose any potential conflicts of interest in the submission and – if the manuscript is accepted – in the author declaration;
  • disclose sources of funding and the role of sponsors (if applicable);
  • inform the Publisher of any conflict of interest disclosed after submission (without delay).

Failure to disclose a conflict of interest may result in the process being suspended, refusal of publication, and, following publication, correction or retraction.

Duties of reviewers

Reviewers are required to:
  • declare any conflict of interest before accepting a review and to recuse themselves from the assessment if the conflict could affect their impartiality;
  • maintain confidentiality and not use information from the review for their own purposes.

Responsibilities of Editors and the Publisher

The Publisher undertakes to:
  • identify potential conflicts of interest and exclude individuals involved in such conflicts from the process;
  • ensure that the selection of reviewers and decisions are independent and documented;
  • document any reported conflicts of interest and how they are managed.

Procedure in the event of a suspected undisclosed conflict of interest

In the event of a suspected undisclosed conflict of interest, in accordance with COPE guidelines, the Publisher shall:

  • verifies the report and documents its findings,
  • requests clarification from the parties,
  • takes a decision appropriate to the situation (e.g. excluding the person from the process, changing the reviewer, requesting additional declarations, suspending or terminating the procedure),
  • informs the parties of the outcome and the grounds for the decision, and, where necessary, indicates the appeal procedure.

In the case of a publication that has already been issued, it is possible to publish a correction/supplement to the information or – in serious cases – to initiate a correction/retraction procedure.

Confidentiality and data protection

The publisher processes personal data and information provided during the publishing process solely to the extent necessary to handle submissions, reviews, publishing decisions and ethical procedures. Access to information is restricted to authorised persons, and proceedings concerning conflicts of interest are conducted in confidence, in accordance with applicable legislation and UKSW’s internal regulations.

Contact for ethics / submissions

Please send submissions regarding conflicts of interest (including suspected undisclosed conflicts of interest) to the address designated for ethical matters – etyka.wydawnictwo@uksw.edu.pl.

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