Conflict of Interest Policy

Why Transparency Matters

Research in anesthesiology doesn't happen in a vacuum. Pharmaceutical companies fund studies. Medical device manufacturers sponsor trials. Researchers consult for industry. These relationships aren't inherently wrong — in fact, collaboration between academia and industry has driven many advances in patient care. But they do need to be disclosed.

At the International Journal of Medical Anesthesiology, we believe readers deserve to know about anything that might have influenced a study's design, execution, or interpretation. Not because we assume the worst about our authors, but because transparency builds trust. When conflicts are hidden and later discovered, it damages everyone — the authors, the journal, and the broader research community.

What Counts as a Conflict of Interest?

A conflict of interest exists when you have personal, financial, or professional interests that could — or could reasonably appear to — influence your judgment. The key word there is "could." You don't need to have actually been influenced; the potential is enough to warrant disclosure.

Here are some common examples, though this list isn't exhaustive:

Financial interests: You own stock in a company whose products are discussed in your paper. You hold patents that relate to the research. You've received royalties or licensing fees connected to the subject matter.

Research funding: Your study was funded by a pharmaceutical company, device manufacturer, or other organization with a stake in the outcomes. This includes direct grants, provision of equipment or drugs, or support for data analysis.

Consulting and advisory roles: You've received fees for consulting, serving on advisory boards, or providing expert testimony related to the products or topics in your research.

Employment: You work for — or have recently worked for — a company with interests related to your paper.

Speaking and travel: You've been paid to give talks, or had travel and accommodation expenses covered by interested parties to attend conferences or meetings related to this research.

Personal relationships: A close family member works for a relevant company, or you have personal relationships with people who have financial interests in the research.

Institutional interests: Your institution has received significant funding or has a formal partnership with an organization that might benefit from your findings.

Competing research: You're working on similar research in a competing lab, or have a professional rivalry with the authors of work you're evaluating.

A Simple Test

If you're unsure whether something constitutes a conflict, ask yourself this: Would a reasonable reader feel that this relationship might have influenced your work — or your assessment of someone else's work? If the answer is yes, or even maybe, disclose it. It's always better to err on the side of transparency.

For Authors

All authors must declare any conflicts of interest at the time of submission. This declaration will be published alongside the article if it's accepted. If authors genuinely have no conflicts to declare, they should state that explicitly — a simple "The authors declare no conflicts of interest" is sufficient.

We ask authors to consider conflicts that existed during the planning, conduct, and writing of the research — not just at the moment of submission. A consulting relationship that ended two years ago may still be relevant if it overlapped with the study period.

Failure to disclose relevant conflicts is a serious matter. If undisclosed conflicts come to light after publication, we may issue a correction, an expression of concern, or in severe cases, retract the article.

For Editors and Reviewers

Authors aren't the only ones who can have conflicts. Editors and reviewers bring their own relationships and interests to the table.

Reviewers should decline to evaluate manuscripts if they have a conflict that could affect their judgment. This includes recent collaboration with the authors, working at the same institution, personal friendships or rivalries, financial interests in the outcomes, or involvement in competing research. If a conflict becomes apparent after review has begun, the reviewer should notify the editor immediately.

Editors must recuse themselves from handling submissions where they have a conflict. This might mean handing the manuscript to another editor or, if the conflict involves the Editor-in-Chief, involving an independent editorial board member in the decision.

What a Good Disclosure Looks Like

Be specific. "The authors have financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies" tells readers very little. Better: "Dr. Smith has received consulting fees from AstraZeneca and research funding from Pfizer within the past three years. Dr. Jones holds stock in Medtronic."

Vague disclosures defeat the purpose. Readers can't assess the potential for bias if they don't know what the actual relationships are.

Further Resources

For more detailed guidance on conflict of interest policies and best practices in publication ethics, we recommend consulting the following resources:

The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) provides comprehensive guidelines on good publication practice and a Code of Conduct for editors.

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) offers detailed recommendations on conflicts of interest as part of its broader guidance on scholarly publishing in medicine.

Questions?

If you're unsure whether something needs to be disclosed, or have questions about how to word your declaration, contact us at anesthesiologypaper@gmail.com. We're happy to help you navigate these issues.