Conflict of Interest Policy

Conflict of Interest Policy

The Journal of Drug Delivery and Biotherapeutics (JDDB) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and ethical conduct in academic publishing. To achieve this, all stakeholders in the publication process—including authors, reviewers, editors, and Editorial Board members—must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the objectivity or impartiality of the journal's operations.

  1. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest arises when an individual's personal, financial, academic, or professional relationships could unduly influence—or appear to influence—their actions, decisions, or judgments related to the journal. Conflicts can be:

  • Financial: Receipt of funding, grants, or payments related to the manuscript or its subject matter.
  • Academic or Professional: Competing research, affiliations, or collaborations that may bias evaluation.
  • Personal Relationships: Relationships with authors, reviewers, or organizations that may affect impartiality.
  1. Policy for Authors
  • Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest at the time of submission.
  • Common examples include:
    • Financial ties to companies or organizations with a vested interest in the research.
    • Employment, consultancy, or stock ownership in entities that could benefit from the research findings.
  • A Conflict of Interest Statement must be included in all submitted manuscripts. If no conflicts exist, authors must include the following statement:
    "The authors declare no conflicts of interest related to this manuscript."
  1. Policy for Reviewers
  • Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest that may affect their ability to provide an unbiased review.
  • If a reviewer identifies a conflict, they must recuse themselves from the review process and inform the editor.
  • Reviewers must not:
    • Accept manuscripts authored by colleagues, collaborators, or individuals with whom they have personal or professional relationships.
    • Use unpublished data or findings for personal gain.
  1. Policy for Editors and Editorial Board Members
  • Editors and Editorial Board members must disclose conflicts of interest and avoid making decisions on manuscripts where such conflicts exist.
  • If a conflict arises:
    • The Editor-in-Chief or a delegated independent editor will handle the manuscript.
    • Editors must not use unpublished information from submitted manuscripts for their own research or personal benefit.
  1. Disclosure and Transparency
  • All disclosed conflicts of interest will be reviewed and documented.
  • For transparency, any relevant conflicts of interest related to published articles will be stated in the article's acknowledgment section or conflict of interest statement.
  1. Enforcement and Resolution
  • The journal reserves the right to investigate and take action on undisclosed conflicts of interest, which may include rejection or retraction of articles.
  • Allegations of undisclosed conflicts will be handled in accordance with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.
  1. Updates to the Policy

This policy is reviewed periodically to ensure alignment with current ethical standards and publishing best practices. Updates will be reflected on the journal’s website.