A competing interest is a relationship or circumstance that could influence, or reasonably appear to influence, research or editorial judgment. Disclosure enables assessment and management; it is not an automatic finding of bias.

What authors should disclose

Disclose relevant financial relationships, employment, consultancies, grants, paid testimony, advisory roles, ownership interests and other material benefits. In oversight research, non-financial relationships may also matter: political or advocacy roles, professional responsibilities, institutional affiliations, involvement in the investigated matter, and personal relationships with relevant parties.

Identify the funder and sponsor’s role in design, access to records, analysis, writing and the decision to submit. If the sponsor had no role, state this. Disclose arrangements that allowed an institution or sponsor to review, delay or influence dissemination.

Author statement

Provide a declaration for every author, including an explicit statement when no relevant competing interests exist. Explain a relationship sufficiently for readers to understand its relevance without disclosing unrelated private information. The corresponding author should confirm that all authors have reviewed their statements.

A relationship need not have demonstrably changed a result to merit disclosure. When uncertain about a material relationship, explain it confidentially to the editor and seek guidance on the published wording.

Editors and reviewers

Editors and reviewers must disclose circumstances that affect impartial assessment. Close collaboration, supervisory relationships, institutional proximity, personal disputes, direct competition or involvement in the subject matter may require recusal. An independent editor should handle submissions involving an editor’s own work or a material relationship.

Reviewer suggestions and exclusions must not conceal relationships or manipulate review. Reviewer identities remain confidential under the journal’s double-anonymous process.

Management and later disclosure

The editor may request clarification, revise a disclosure, appoint an independent handler or determine that a relationship prevents participation. A significant undisclosed interest discovered after publication may require a correction or further investigation. See Research Independence and Corrections & Retractions.

Updated 5 October 2026 · Questions: JPOII Editorial Office