Conflict of Interest and Editorial Independence

Readers should be able to judge medical information without wondering who shaped it. Authors, reviewers, and editors must tell us about relationships or interests that could influence the work, or reasonably appear to do so.

What to disclose

Relevant interests include employment, consulting fees, research funding, paid speaking, gifts, shares, patents, and relationships with organisations connected to the topic. Personal relationships, professional rivalries, advocacy roles, and close collaborations can also matter.

Disclose an interest even if you believe it has not affected your judgement. Explain the relationship and its relevance. If there is nothing relevant to declare, say so. Update the editor if circumstances change during review or after publication.

How we manage an interest

A disclosure does not automatically exclude a contributor. The editor considers whether the interest can be managed fairly, whether readers need to know about it, and whether another person should handle the work.

Authors cannot review their own articles. Reviewers must decline assignments affected by a significant conflict. An editor with a relevant conflict must step aside from the publication decision, which is assigned to someone without that conflict.

Relevant author interests are stated with the article. If a material interest was omitted, we assess its effect on the work and publish a correction or take further action under our Corrections Policy.

Editorial independence

Commercial relationships do not determine conclusions, source selection, reviewer recommendations, or publication decisions. Any advertising, sponsorship, or affiliate relationship must be clearly identified. It must not be presented as independent editorial advice.

Mentioning a product, service, or organisation does not by itself constitute an endorsement. Contributors must not use an article to hide promotion or obtain an undisclosed benefit.

Raise a concern

If you believe an interest has not been disclosed or has affected an article, contact contact@medullis.com with the article link and the information you would like us to assess.