Grant Support

Policy on Financial and Competing Interests, Grant Support, and Disclosures

Purpose
The International Journal of Health and Rehabilitation (IJHR_ORG) mandates comprehensive transparency regarding all financial and non-financial relationships that could potentially influence, or be perceived to influence, the research process, from conception to publication. This policy is designed to manage real and perceived conflicts of interest, thereby safeguarding the objectivity and credibility of the published scholarly record.

1. Authors: Disclosure of Competing Interests
All authors are required to disclose any interests, financial or otherwise, that could constitute a conflict. This disclosure is required for relationships that were present within the 36 months prior to submission and includes, but is not limited to:

  • Financial Interests: Employment, consultancies, stock ownership or options, honoraria, patents (pending or awarded), royalties, paid expert testimony, speaker's bureau membership, and receipt of equipment, materials, or other services from an organization with a direct interest in the subject of the manuscript.

  • Non-Financial Interests: Personal relationships, academic rivalries, strong political or religious beliefs relevant to the topic, membership in advocacy groups, and holding a position on a board or committee of a related organization.

  • Explicit Statement: If no such interests exist, authors must explicitly state: "The author(s) declare(s) that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper."

  • Submission Requirement: A completed Disclosure of Competing Interests Form must be submitted with every manuscript.

2. Authors: Disclosure of Grant Support and Other Funding

  • Full Financial Disclosure: All sources of financial support for the research must be explicitly acknowledged. This includes grants (with grant numbers), fellowships, scholarships, donations, and in-kind support (e.g., provision of equipment, drugs).

  • Role of the Funder: Authors must describe the role of the funding sponsor(s), if any, in the: study design; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; writing of the report; and the decision to submit the article for publication.

  • Statement of Independence and Access: For industry-sponsored or commercially funded research, a specific statement is required from the corresponding author affirming that: "All authors had full access to all the data in the study and take complete responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis." This statement addresses potential concerns regarding sponsor influence over data availability and interpretation.

3. Reviewers and Editors: Disclosure of Competing Interests

  • Reviewer Responsibility: Upon invitation, reviewers must disclose to the editor any competing interest—personal, professional, or financial—that could bias their evaluation of the manuscript. Reviewers must decline to review if a significant conflict exists.

  • Editorial Responsibility: Editors and editorial board members must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have a competing interest. They must not use information gained during the editorial process for personal advantage.

4. Publication and Transparency
All disclosed information pertaining to competing interests and grant/funding support will be published in a clearly identifiable section within the article (e.g., "Competing Interests," "Funding"). This practice ensures readers can make their own informed judgments about the work.

5. Management and Enforcement

  • The editorial team will review all disclosures. In cases of significant potential bias, additional actions may be taken, such as publishing an accompanying editorial note or commissioning an independent commentary.

  • Non-compliance, including failure to disclose a material competing interest, is considered a breach of publication ethics. Consequences may include manuscript rejection, retraction of a published article, and notification of the authors' institutions.

This policy, informed by guidelines from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), is fundamental to maintaining the trust of the academic community and the public in the research disseminated by IJHR_ORG.