The Journal of Bio-Intelligence (JBI) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and objectivity in scholarly publishing. All participants in the publication process—including authors, editors, reviewers, editorial board members, and guest editors—must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could influence, or reasonably appear to influence, the research, peer review, editorial decisions, or publication process.

Full disclosure enables readers to evaluate published work objectively and helps preserve confidence in the scientific record.

Purpose

This policy aims to:

• Promote transparency and accountability in scholarly communication.
• Protect the integrity and credibility of published research.
• Ensure impartial editorial and peer review decisions.
• Maintain public trust in the journal and the scientific community.
• Minimize the risk of bias in the publication process.

Definition of a Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest (COI) exists when professional judgment concerning a primary interest—such as the validity of research, editorial independence, or unbiased peer review—may be influenced by a secondary interest, whether financial or non-financial.

A conflict does not necessarily imply misconduct. Disclosure allows editors to assess whether appropriate measures are needed to manage potential bias.

Types of Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of interest may include, but are not limited to, the following categories.

Financial Interests

Examples include:

• Employment or recent employment by an organization related to the research.
• Consultancy or advisory roles.
• Research grants or funding.
• Honoraria or speaker fees.
• Paid expert testimony.
• Patents, patent applications, or intellectual property rights.
• Stock ownership, stock options, or other financial investments.
• Royalties or licensing agreements.
• Commercial sponsorship.

Personal Relationships

Potential conflicts may arise from:

• Family relationships.
• Close friendships.
• Personal disputes.
• Academic rivalries.
• Supervisory or mentoring relationships.
• Recent collaborations.

Academic and Professional Interests

Examples include:

• Competing research projects.
• Membership in competing organizations.
• Editorial positions at related journals.
• Institutional affiliations that may influence judgment.
• Professional competition.

Institutional Interests

Conflicts may involve:

• Institutional funding.
• Departmental interests.
• University or organizational policies.
• Commercial partnerships involving affiliated institutions.

Political, Ideological, or Other Interests

Authors, reviewers, and editors should disclose any political, ideological, religious, advocacy, or other interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or editorial process.

Author Responsibilities

Authors must disclose all relevant conflicts of interest at the time of manuscript submission.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors:

• Have reviewed the conflict of interest statement.
• Agree with the disclosure.
• Report any relevant interests.

If no conflicts exist, authors should explicitly state:

Funding Disclosure

Authors must disclose all sources of financial support, including:

• Research grants.
• Institutional funding.
• Industry sponsorship.
• Government funding.
• Non-profit organization support.
• Equipment or material support.

The role of the funding organization in study design, data collection, analysis, manuscript preparation, and publication decisions should be clearly described.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Peer reviewers must disclose any conflicts that could compromise—or reasonably appear to compromise—their objectivity.

Reviewers should decline invitations to review manuscripts if they:

• Have collaborated with the authors within the recent past.
• Work at the same institution as the authors where independence may be affected.
• Have personal or professional relationships with the authors.
• Have financial interests related to the work.
• Are directly competing with the submitted research.
• Cannot provide an unbiased and confidential review.

Reviewers must not use unpublished information obtained during peer review for personal or professional advantage.

Editor Responsibilities

Editors must avoid handling manuscripts when conflicts of interest exist.

Examples include manuscripts submitted by:

• Current or recent collaborators.
• Family members.
• Students or former students.
• Supervisors or former supervisors.
• Colleagues from the same institution where impartiality may be questioned.
• Individuals with whom significant financial relationships exist.

When a conflict is identified, editorial responsibility will be assigned to another qualified editor with no relevant conflict.

Editors must make publication decisions solely on the basis of scientific merit, originality, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal.

Editorial Board Members

Editorial Board members are expected to disclose any conflicts that may affect their editorial responsibilities.

Board members must not participate in editorial decisions regarding manuscripts where conflicts exist.

Guest Editors

Guest Editors responsible for special issues must disclose all relevant conflicts of interest.

If a Guest Editor is an author on a manuscript within the special issue, editorial oversight and decision-making will be delegated to an independent editor to ensure an unbiased review process.

Conflict of Interest Statement in Published Articles

All published articles will include a Conflict of Interest Statement indicating either:

• The disclosed competing interests; or
• A declaration that no competing interests exist.

This statement forms part of the permanent published record.

Management of Conflicts

Where conflicts are disclosed, the journal may implement appropriate measures, including:

• Independent editorial oversight.
• Assignment of alternative reviewers or editors.
• Additional peer review.
• Publication of disclosure statements.
• Requests for further clarification or documentation.

Disclosure does not automatically prevent publication; rather, it enables transparent evaluation and appropriate management of potential bias.

Failure to Disclose

Depending on the nature and severity of the omission, the Journal may take one or more of the following actions:

• Request correction of the published record.
• Publish an Editorial Note or Correction.
• Withdraw acceptance prior to publication.
• Retract the published article where appropriate.
• Notify the authors' institution or funding agency when warranted.
• Restrict future submissions from individuals who intentionally fail to disclose significant conflicts.

Post-Publication Disclosure

If an undisclosed conflict of interest is identified after publication, the Journal will investigate the matter in accordance with its Publication Ethics Policy.

Where necessary, appropriate corrective actions may include:

• Publication of a correction.
• Editorial expression of concern.
• Retraction of the article in cases involving significant undisclosed conflicts affecting the integrity of the research.

Confidentiality

Conflict of interest disclosures submitted during manuscript evaluation will be treated confidentially and used solely for editorial assessment, except where disclosure is required as part of the published article or by applicable legal or ethical obligations.

Compliance

Submission of a manuscript to the Journal of Bio-Intelligence constitutes acknowledgment and acceptance of this Conflicts of Interest Policy.

All participants in the publication process are expected to comply fully with these requirements to ensure fair, transparent, and ethical scholarly publishing.

Policy Review

The Journal of Bio-Intelligence periodically reviews and updates this Conflicts of Interest Policy to remain aligned with evolving international standards, ethical guidelines, and best practices in scholarly publishing.