Conflict of Interest Policy

BEMO | EDITORIAL INTEGRITY

Conflict of Interest Policy

Transparency, impartiality, and independence throughout scholarly publication.

BEMO requires transparent disclosure and appropriate management of financial and non-financial competing interests involving authors, reviewers, editors, the journal, and the publisher.

1. Definition

A competing interest exists when a financial, professional, institutional, personal, intellectual, or other relationship could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, scholarly judgment.

Disclosure does not automatically disqualify an individual from participating in the publication process; the significance of the interest must be assessed.

2. Author Disclosures

Authors must disclose relevant interests, including:

  • Research funding, sponsorship, consulting arrangements, and employment.
  • Patents, intellectual property, or commercial interests.
  • Relevant personal, professional, or institutional relationships.
  • Financial or non-financial involvement that could affect interpretation of findings.

Authors should state the role of funders in study design, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and publication decisions. An explicit declaration is expected even when no competing interests exist.

3. Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers must disclose relevant conflicts before accepting an invitation and decline assignments when impartial assessment cannot be ensured. Confidential information obtained through peer review must not be used for personal or professional advantage.

4. Editorial Conflicts

Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where material conflicts exist, including manuscripts submitted by close collaborators, family members, or individuals with whom they have significant competing interests.

Such manuscripts should be assigned to an independent qualified editor. Editorial board membership does not confer preferential treatment.

5. Publisher and Institutional Interests

Editorial decisions must remain independent of commercial, institutional, sponsorship, or financial pressures. The publisher must not improperly influence the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts.

6. Undisclosed Conflicts

When previously undisclosed interests are identified, the journal will evaluate their relevance and may request clarification, independent reassessment, correction of disclosures, or other proportionate editorial action.

Editorial Principle: Disclosure, recusal when necessary, and independent editorial decisions protect the credibility of published research.