Conflict of Interest Policy

INDOGENIUS JOURNAL (General Nursing and Health Sciences Journal) is committed to maintaining transparency, independence, objectivity, and integrity throughout the scholarly publication process. The journal recognizes that conflicts of interest may influence, or appear to influence, the design, conduct, interpretation, peer review, and publication of scientific research.

A conflict of interest exists when an author's, reviewer's, editor's, or other participant's professional judgment may be influenced by financial, personal, academic, institutional, or other competing interests. The existence of a conflict of interest does not necessarily indicate misconduct or invalidate research findings. However, all relevant interests must be disclosed to ensure transparency and allow appropriate editorial assessment. The journal follows the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and relevant recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) concerning the disclosure and management of competing interests.

Types of Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of interest may be financial or non-financial and may involve relationships or circumstances that could reasonably be perceived as influencing scholarly judgment. Potential conflicts of interest include, but are not limited to:

1. Financial Interests: Research funding, consultancy fees, honoraria, employment, stock ownership, patents, royalties, or other financial relationships with organizations that may benefit from the research findings.

2. Personal Relationships: Family relationships, close friendships, personal disagreements, or other relationships that could compromise impartiality.

3. Professional Interests: Employment relationships, institutional affiliations, supervisory relationships, or professional responsibilities that may influence research or editorial decisions.

4. Academic Interests: Academic competition, intellectual disagreements, collaborative relationships, or professional rivalries that may affect objective evaluation.

5. Institutional Interests: Relationships between research institutions, sponsors, publishers, or organizations with a direct interest in the publication outcome.

6. Intellectual Interests: Strongly held theoretical positions, advocacy activities, or intellectual commitments that may affect the interpretation or assessment of research findings.

All potentially relevant interests should be disclosed, regardless of whether the individuals involved believe that these interests have influenced their professional judgment.

Authors' Responsibilities

All authors submitting manuscripts to Genius Journal are required to disclose any financial or non-financial relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or its interpretation. Authors must provide accurate and complete conflict of interest declarations during manuscript submission and update these declarations if relevant circumstances change during the editorial process. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that conflict of interest information is collected from all co-authors and accurately communicated to the editorial office. Authors must also disclose the role of research sponsors or funding organizations in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and decisions concerning publication. Failure to disclose relevant competing interests may result in requests for clarification, editorial reassessment, correction of the publication record, or other appropriate actions.

Conflict of Interest Declaration

Every manuscript submitted to INDOGENIUS JOURNAL must include a conflict of interest statement, regardless of whether any competing interests exist. When no conflicts of interest are identified, authors should include the following statement:

"The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to the research, authorship, or publication of this article."

When potential conflicts of interest exist, authors must clearly describe the nature of the relationships or interests involved. A declaration of conflicts of interest does not automatically disqualify a manuscript from consideration. The editorial team will assess whether the disclosed interests require additional safeguards or other appropriate measures.

Editors' Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for maintaining impartiality and independence in manuscript assessment and editorial decision-making. Editors must disclose any personal, financial, academic, professional, or institutional interests that could compromise, or reasonably appear to compromise, their objectivity. An editor with a relevant conflict of interest must not participate in the editorial evaluation or final decision concerning the affected manuscript. Such manuscripts should be assigned to another qualified editor who has no relevant competing interests. Editors must not use unpublished manuscript information for personal research, financial gain, professional advantage, or other unauthorized purposes. Editorial decisions must be based on scientific quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, relevance to the journal's scope, and the outcomes of the peer-review process.

Reviewers' Responsibilities

Peer reviewers are expected to provide independent, objective, confidential, and constructive evaluations of manuscripts. Before accepting a review invitation, reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could affect their impartiality. Reviewers should decline an invitation or seek editorial guidance when they have relevant financial relationships, recent collaborations, close personal relationships, institutional dependencies, or other competing interests involving the authors or research. Reviewers must not use confidential manuscript information for personal benefit or disclose unpublished findings without authorization. If a conflict of interest becomes apparent after accepting a review assignment, the reviewer must promptly inform the editorial office. The editorial team will determine whether the reviewer may continue the assessment or should be replaced.

Institutional and Funding Relationships

Authors must disclose relevant financial support received from governmental agencies, academic institutions, commercial organizations, foundations, or other funding bodies. Funding declarations should identify the sources of financial support and describe the role of sponsors in the research process, where applicable. The journal recognizes that receiving research funding does not automatically constitute an inappropriate conflict of interest. However, transparency is necessary when financial relationships could influence the conduct, interpretation, or reporting of research. Research sponsors must not improperly interfere with editorial independence or determine publication decisions.

Identification and Management of Conflicts of Interest

The editorial team will assess disclosed conflicts of interest and determine whether additional measures are necessary to protect the integrity of the publication process. Depending on the nature and significance of the competing interests, appropriate measures may include:

1. Requesting additional disclosure or clarification.

2. Publishing relevant conflict of interest statements alongside accepted articles.

3. Reassigning manuscripts to independent editors or reviewers.

4. Obtaining additional independent expert assessment.

5. Requesting clarification of the role of funding organizations.

6. Requiring appropriate corrections to incomplete or inaccurate declarations.

Taking further editorial action when undisclosed interests materially affect the reliability or integrity of a publication. The journal will apply proportionate measures based on the seriousness of the conflict and its potential impact on editorial independence or scientific credibility.

Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

If an undisclosed conflict of interest is identified during manuscript assessment or after publication, INDOGENIUS JOURNAL will evaluate the concern in accordance with its publication ethics procedures. The editorial office may contact the individuals concerned to request clarification and supporting information. Where a material omission is confirmed, the journal may require an updated disclosure statement, publish a correction, reassess the editorial process, or take other appropriate action. Serious cases involving deliberate concealment, compromised peer review, or unreliable research findings may be referred to relevant institutions or addressed under the journal's research misconduct policy. Editorial action will depend on the available evidence and the significance of the undisclosed interest.

Confidentiality and Transparency

Conflict of interest information submitted during manuscript processing will be handled responsibly and used for legitimate editorial purposes. Relevant declarations concerning accepted articles will be made publicly available when appropriate to support transparency and informed interpretation of published research. Personal information that is not necessary for public disclosure will be handled in accordance with applicable confidentiality and privacy requirements. The journal seeks to balance transparency in scholarly publishing with the responsible protection of personal and confidential information.

Appeals and Disputes

Authors, reviewers, or editors who disagree with a decision concerning a conflict of interest may submit a written request for reconsideration to the editorial office. Requests should include a clear explanation and any relevant supporting documentation. Where appropriate, the matter will be assessed by an independent editor or another authorized individual without a relevant competing interest. The journal will evaluate such requests fairly and make decisions based on available evidence, publication ethics principles, and the need to maintain editorial independence.

Commitment to Editorial Independence

Genius Journal is committed to ensuring that financial, institutional, professional, and personal interests do not improperly influence the evaluation or publication of scholarly research. The journal supports transparent disclosure, independent peer review, impartial editorial decisions, and responsible management of competing interests. By implementing this policy, INDOGENIUS Journal seeks to maintain public trust in scientific publishing and promote the credibility, reliability, and integrity of nursing and healthcare research.