Public trust in the scientific process and the credibility of published articles depend in part on how transparently conflicts of interest are handled during the planning, implementation, writing, peer review, editing, and publication of scientific work. A conflict of interest exists when professional judgment concerning a primary interest (such as patients’ welfare or the validity of research) may be influenced by a secondary interest (such as financial gain). Perceptions of conflict of interest are as important as actual conflicts of interest. For these reasons, the authors are to fill in and sign a Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest.
The authors are also to declare sources of support of their work, including sponsor names along with explanations of the role of those sources if any in the study.