Conflict of interest

How it is used

Journals require authors to declare any conflict of interest, such as funding from a company whose product they test. Reviewers and editors should also decline papers by close colleagues. If there is none, authors write 'The authors declare no conflict of interest.' Also called competing interests.

Example sentences

1. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

2. I declined to review the paper because of a conflict of interest: the first author was my former student.

Common collocations

• declare a conflict of interest
• potential conflict of interest
• conflict of interest statement
• competing interests

Related terms

• academic integrityThe commitment to honesty, fairness and responsibility in study and research, including citing sources, reporting data truthfully and doing your own work.
• reviewerAn expert who reads a submitted manuscript or proposal and gives the editor an evaluation and a recommendation, such as accept, revise or reject.
• grantA sum of money given by a government body, foundation or university to pay for a research project, often after a competitive application.
• co-authorOne of two or more people who write a paper or book together and share responsibility for its content; also used as a verb.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• conflict of interest · Management & Leadership
• conflict of interest · Law
• conflict of interest · Public Administration
• conflict of interest · Social Work
• conflict of interest · Journalism & Media

More terms: Research Ethics and Integrity

• plagiarism
• informed consent
• ethics approval
• confidentiality
• anonymity
• fabrication
• self-plagiarism
• retraction