Conflict of Interest Policy

Conflict of Interest Policy

General Provisions

All authors, peer reviewers, and members of the editorial team must disclose any association that may constitute a conflict of interest in relation to manuscripts submitted to the Journal of sport science technology and physical activities

A conflict of interest includes any financial or personal relationship that could influence the objectivity, integrity, or interpretation of a publication. Examples include relationships with companies whose products or services relate to the topic of the manuscript, such as employment, ownership of stock or mutual funds, membership on advisory boards or committees, service on boards of directors, or public association with a company or its products. Other potential conflicts may include consulting fees, patent filings, paid spokesperson roles, or services provided for honoraria. Additional examples include past or present associations as a thesis advisor or student, or family relationships, such as partners or parent–child relationships.

When a conflict of interest is disclosed by an author or editor, a footnote describing the conflict will be included in the published article.

Conflict of Interest Policy: Authors

Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest at the time of manuscript submission and acknowledge all funding sources supporting the work. This information should appear in the Acknowledgements section. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors have disclosed any conflicts of interest. Collaborators within the past 48 months (co-authors on papers or principal investigators on grants with the author) must be excluded as editors and reviewers.

Conflict of Interest Policy: Reviewers and Editors

Peer reviewers and editors must recuse themselves from handling a manuscript if a conflict prevents them from providing an impartial scholarly judgment. Reviewers must not evaluate manuscripts if they cannot do so objectively. If a reviewer or editor has a conflict but believes it does not impair their judgment, they must disclose the nature of the conflict to the journal. Editorial decisions for manuscripts commissioned by the Editor-in-Chief will not be made by that editor.

Potential Conflict of Interest for Reviewers

Reviewer invitation letters will include the following statement:

"If you know or believe you know the identity of the author and feel that a potential conflict of interest exists in reviewing this manuscript (e.g., close friendship, rivalry, or other reasons), please declare it. By accepting this invitation, it is assumed that no conflict exists."

As a standard policy, reviewers with a declared conflict will not be assigned the manuscript, though editors may exercise discretion after discussion.

Submissions by Editors or Related Authors

• Editor Submission: Manuscripts submitted by an editor will be handled by another editor without conflicts of interest and from a different institution. This editor will select reviewers and make all editorial decisions.
• Author at Same Institution as Editor: Manuscripts submitted by authors affiliated with the same institution as an editor will be handled by another editor.
• Family Members or Close Associates: Manuscripts submitted by family members or authors whose relationship with an editor might create perceived bias will be handled by another editor. In case of doubt, the editorial team will consult collectively.

The journal reserves the right to publish an erratum disclosing conflicts of interest related to previously published manuscripts. Authors, reviewers, or editors who deliberately or recklessly fail to disclose conflicts may face sanctions, including temporary publication bans.

This policy applies to all material published in the Journal of sport science technology and physical activities