Policy on Conflict of Interest

Policy on Conflict of Interest, Human and Animal Rights, and Informed Consent

Purpose:
The Axis Journal of Scientific Innovations (AJSI) is committed to upholding the highest standards of research integrity and transparency. This policy mandates comprehensive disclosures from all authors, reviewers, and editors regarding any potential conflicts of interest (COI) and ensures strict adherence to ethical principles in research involving human participants or animals.

Definition of Conflict of Interest:
A conflict of interest exists when an individual's personal, financial, or professional relationships could be reasonably perceived as unduly influencing their objectivity, judgment, or actions in the research or publication process.

Disclosure Requirements:

  • Authors: All authors must disclose any financial interests (e.g., funding, employment, patents, stock ownership), personal relationships, or professional affiliations that could be perceived to influence the research or its interpretation.

  • Reviewers and Editors: Reviewers and editors must decline to participate in the review of a manuscript if they have a competing interest that could compromise their impartiality.

Disclosures must be complete and provided at the time of submission or upon invitation to review.

Management of Conflicts of Interest:

  • All disclosed conflicts of interest will be published alongside the article to ensure full transparency for readers.

  • In cases of significant conflicts, the journal may take additional measures, including recusal of an editor or reviewer, seeking additional independent reviews, or publishing an explanatory editorial note.

Human and Animal Rights Policy:

  • Human Research: Studies involving human participants must have been conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The manuscript must include a statement confirming approval by an institutional ethics committee and that informed consent was obtained from all participants.

  • Animal Research: Experimental studies involving vertebrates or higher invertebrates must report approval from an appropriate animal care and use committee. The research must adhere to recognized national and international guidelines for the humane treatment of laboratory animals.

Informed Consent Policy:

  • Requirement: For all research involving human subjects, informed consent must be obtained from each participant or their legal guardian. This consent must explicitly cover both participation in the study and the publication of any identifiable data (including photographs, case details, or videos) in this open-access journal.

  • Documentation: Authors must include a statement within the manuscript confirming that informed consent for publication was obtained.

  • Privacy and Confidentiality: Authors must protect the privacy and anonymity of research participants, in compliance with applicable data protection laws and ethical standards.

Implementation:

  • Submission Process: Authors are required to complete the journal's disclosure forms, provide ethics approval statements, and confirm informed consent during manuscript submission.

  • Verification: The AJSI editorial team will verify compliance with these policies as an integral part of the peer-review process. Non-compliance will result in the manuscript being rejected or returned for correction.

  • Publication: All published articles will contain statements confirming adherence to these ethical standards, informing readers of the rigorous ethical framework underpinning the research.

This policy framework ensures that the Axis Journal of Scientific Innovations (AJSI) maintains a rigorous, transparent, and ethical approach to scholarly publishing, thereby fostering trust within the scientific community and the public.