Declaration of conflicting interests

All authors are required to disclose any conflicts of interest also referred to as competing interests that may have influenced or could be perceived to influence the article.

A competing interest arises when there is a financial, commercial, legal, or professional relationship between you (or your employer, sponsor, or family/friends) and other organizations or individuals that could potentially impact the research or the interpretation of the results.

Competing interests can take various forms, whether financial or non-financial. It is essential to be transparent and also disclose any associations that others may view as conflicting interests.

When submitting your paper to in esse, it is crucial to provide full disclosure of any potential conflicts of interest by declaring them to the editor upon submission. Submissions will be evaluated fairly and will not necessarily be rejected when any conflicting interests are declared. If a relevant conflict that was not stated by the authors emerges at any point throughout the peer review or publishing process, the editor of in esse has the right to reject the submission. 

Examples of financial conflicts of interest:

- Employment or affiliation with organizations that stand to benefit from the research’s publication and dissemination;

- Grants from funding agencies, commercial entities, or organizations with a vested interest in the research’s financial outcomes’

- Compensation such as consulting fees, reimbursements, or other payments for conducting the research;

- Ownership of patents, stocks or shares by the authors, their institutions, or funding organizations that could profit from the research’s publication;

- Involvement of close relatives who might financially gain from the publication and dissemination of the research.

Examples of non-financial conflicts of interest:

- Affiliation with organizations that have a stake in the research’s outcomes, such as research advisory boards, steering committees, or associations;

- Membership in organizations or scientific societies engaged in advocacy efforts;

- Engagement in activism or advocacy work aligned with the research;

- Personal ideologies, beliefs, faith, or thoughts pertinent to the research topic

- Political affiliations or involvement in legal actions relevant to the research or its potential impact;

- Past research competitions, personal disputes, or close working relationships with the editor or editorial board members; 

- Editorial roles or membership on the editorial board of in esse.

Authors should include a relevant disclosure statement with the text of your article. They can include this with any acknowledgments and funding information.