At ESSD, we are committed to ensuring that the publication of research articles and other scholarly works is conducted in an unbiased and transparent manner. As part of this commitment, we require all editors and authors to disclose any conflicts of interest that may influence their work or decisions.

A conflict of interest may arise when an editor or author has financial or personal interests that could affect their objectivity or impartiality in the publication process. Some of these conflicts include, but are not limited to:

1. Financial conflicts of interest
These occur when an author or editor has financial ties to an organization or entity that may be affected by the research or publication. Examples include receiving funding, consulting fees, or stock options from a company that produces products related to the research.

2. Personal conflicts of interest
These occur when an author or editor has personal relationships or affiliations that may influence their objectivity or decision-making. Examples include having a close personal relationship with a co-author or reviewer or being a member of an organization that may be affected by the research.

3. Intellectual conflicts of interest
These occur when an author or editor has strong opinions or biases that may influence their interpretation or presentation of the research. Examples include having a strong ideological or political stance on the research topic.

4. Institutional conflicts of interest
These occur when an institution or organization has a financial or other interest in the research or publication. Examples include a university receiving funding from a company for research related to that company's products.

We require all editors and authors to declare any potential conflicts of interest in writing during the submission process. Such declarations will be reviewed by the editorial team and may be published alongside the article or disclosed to reviewers, as appropriate.

We believe that transparency and accountability are essential to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical conduct in scholarly publishing. We encourage all editors and authors to disclose any conflicts of interest, and we remain committed to ensuring that our publication process is fair, impartial, and free from bias.