Conflict of Interest Policy

Why Transparency Matters

Research in HIV/AIDS doesn't happen in a vacuum. Pharmaceutical companies fund studies. Medical device manufacturers sponsor trials. Researchers hold patents, consult for companies, and sometimes have financial stakes in the technologies they evaluate.

At the International Journal of HIV and AIDS Sciences, we believe readers deserve to know about anything that might have influenced — or could be perceived as influencing — research we publish. Not because we assume bad faith, but because transparency is foundational to trust.

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 be seen to — influence your research, its presentation, or its interpretation.

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 research funding, consulting fees, or honoraria from interested parties.
• Research funding: Your study was funded by a pharmaceutical company, device manufacturer, or other organization with a stake in the outcome.
• Consulting and advisory roles: You've received fees for consulting, serving on advisory boards, or providing expert testimony related to the subject matter.
• 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.
• Personal relationships: A close family member works for a relevant company, or you have personal relationships with people who might benefit from your work.
• Institutional interests: Your institution has received significant funding or has a formal partnership with an organization that might benefit from your research.
• Competing research: You're working on similar research in a competing lab, or have a professional rivalry with the authors of work you're being asked to review.

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 my work or judgment — even if I'm confident it didn't? If the answer is yes, or even maybe, disclose it.

For Authors

All authors must declare any conflicts of interest at the time of submission. This declaration will be published alongside your article if it's accepted.

We ask authors to consider conflicts that existed during the planning, conduct, and writing of the research — not just at the time of submission. Relationships that ended before the study began might still be relevant if they could have influenced your approach.

Failure to disclose relevant conflicts is a serious matter. If undisclosed conflicts come to light after publication, we may need to publish a correction, add a disclosure statement, or in serious cases, consider retraction.

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, and these can bias the evaluation process.

Reviewers should decline to evaluate manuscripts if they have a conflict that could affect their judgment. This includes direct competition, collaboration with authors, personal relationships, or financial interests in the research area.

Editors must recuse themselves from handling submissions where they have a conflict. This might mean handing the manuscript to another editor entirely or, at minimum, having no involvement in the decision-making process.

What a Good Disclosure Looks Like

Be specific. "The authors have financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies" tells readers very little. Better: "Author X has received consulting fees from Company Y and holds stock in Company Z, both of which manufacture antiretroviral medications discussed in this paper."

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

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) offers detailed recommendations on conflicts of interest disclosure, including a standardized disclosure form used by many journals.

Questions?

If you're unsure whether something needs to be disclosed, or have questions about how to word your declaration, contact us at hiv.publish@gmail.com. When in doubt, disclose.