Conflict of Interest Policy

Conflict of Interest Policy

Health Nexus is committed to ensuring transparency, objectivity, and integrity in the publication process. All participants—authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher (Panorama Scholarly Group, PSG)—must disclose any conflicts of interest (COIs) that could influence the interpretation or presentation of research.

1. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when professional judgment concerning a primary interest (e.g., scientific validity) may be influenced by a secondary interest, including:

• Financial gain
• Personal relationships
• Academic competition
• Institutional affiliations

2. Author Responsibilities

Authors must disclose all relevant conflicts of interest at the time of submission.

2.1 Types of Conflicts

• Financial: Grants, funding, employment, consultancy, stock ownership, honoraria
• Non-Financial: Personal relationships, academic rivalry, intellectual beliefs or affiliations

2.2 Disclosure Requirements

• All conflicts must be stated in a Conflict of Interest Statement within the manuscript
• If no conflicts exist, authors must declare:

3. Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers must:

• Disclose any potential conflicts of interest before accepting a review
• Decline review if a conflict may compromise objectivity
• Avoid reviewing manuscripts involving:
  • Close collaborators
  • Institutional colleagues
  • Competitors with direct conflicts

4. Editor Responsibilities

Editors must:

• Recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict exists
• Ensure fair and unbiased decision-making
• Assign alternative editors when necessary

5. Publisher Responsibilities

Panorama Scholarly Group (PSG) supports:

• Transparent disclosure practices
• Editorial independence
• Ethical oversight

The publisher does not interfere with editorial decisions.

6. Management of Conflicts

When a conflict of interest is identified:

• It will be evaluated by the Editorial Office
• Appropriate measures may include:
  • Disclosure in the published article
  • Reassignment of reviewers or editors
  • Additional peer review

7. Post-Publication Disclosure

If undisclosed conflicts are identified after publication:

• The journal may issue:
  • Corrections
  • Expressions of concern
  • Retractions (in serious cases)

8. Transparency and Accountability

All disclosed conflicts:

• Will be published alongside the article
• Will be considered during editorial decision-making

Failure to disclose relevant conflicts may be treated as ethical misconduct.

9. Compliance with Standards