Conflict of Interest Policy

Journal of Bacha Khan Medical College (JBKMC), Mardan, Pakistan

The Journal of Bacha Khan Medical College (JBKMC) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of transparency, objectivity, and integrity in scholarly publishing. In accordance with the guidelines set forth by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), all authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest (COIs) that may influence the content or evaluation of a manuscript.

Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when professional judgment concerning a primary interest (such as the validity of research or the integrity of review) may be influenced—consciously or unconsciously—by a secondary interest, such as:

  • Financial relationships (e.g., employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony)

  • Personal relationships or rivalries

  • Academic competition

  • Institutional affiliations or obligations

  • Intellectual or ideological beliefs

Disclosure of a conflict of interest does not necessarily preclude publication or participation in the review process but ensures transparency in decision-making.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are required to:

  • Declare all potential conflicts of interest in a dedicated section at the time of submission.

  • Disclose any financial, institutional, or personal relationships that might influence the research or interpretation of data.

  • If no conflicts exist, authors must state:

    "The authors declare no conflict of interest."

Failure to disclose a conflict may result in rejection of the manuscript or retraction if identified after publication.

2. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must:

  • Disclose any potential conflict that could bias their assessment of the manuscript.

  • Recuse themselves from reviewing any submission where a conflict exists (e.g., collaboration with authors, competing research).

  • Treat all manuscripts as confidential documents and avoid using unpublished material for personal gain.

3. Responsibilities of Editors and Editorial Board Members

Editors and editorial board members must:

  • Avoid making editorial decisions on manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest.

  • Disclose any relevant relationships that may influence editorial handling.

  • Ensure that conflicted editors are recused from all deliberations and decisions regarding the relevant submission.

4. Disclosure Statement in Published Articles

All published articles must include a Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement. If conflicts are declared, they will be disclosed in a note accompanying the published article. If no conflicts are declared, the statement will read:

"The authors declare no conflict of interest related to this publication."

5. Undisclosed Conflicts Identified Post-Publication

If a conflict of interest is discovered after publication that was not disclosed:

  • The editorial office will initiate an investigation.

  • A correction, expression of concern, or retraction will be issued based on the outcome, in accordance with COPE guidelines.

For any questions or to submit disclosures, please contact the editorial office at:
Email: jbkmc@bkmc.edu.pk