Conflict of Interest Information for Authors and Peer Reviewers

The journal requires that all authors disclose any potential sources of conflict of interest. Any interest or relationship, financial or otherwise that might be perceived as influencing an author's objectivity is considered a potential source of conflict of interest. These must be disclosed when directly relevant or directly related to the work that the authors describe in their manuscript. Potential sources of conflict of interest include, but are not limited to: patent or stock ownership, membership of a company board of directors, membership of an advisory board or committee for a company, and consultancy for or receipt of speaker's fees from a company.

Peer Reviewers should disclose any financial or other issues (eg, philosophical beliefs, professional competition) to the editor as soon as they recognize the potential for a conflict. A perceived conflict does not mean there is an actual problem. A conflict exists only if it would limit the reviewer’s ability to give a fair and impartial review. It is also important to remember that until published, a manuscript is the confidential property of the author. Therefore, reviewers cannot use, cite, or discuss the content of unpublished manuscripts in any personal or professional activities, or use the content for financial gain.

Editors will disqualify themselves from a decision-making role on a manuscript if there is a potential conflict of interest for financial, professional, personal, or other reasons. For example, an editor may request that another editor read the reviews and make a decision on a manuscript submitted by a close colleague. It is also important to remember that until published, a manuscript is the confidential property of the author. Therefore, editors cannot use, cite, or discuss the content of unpublished manuscripts in any personal or professional activities, or use the content for financial gain. If the editor is an author of a published research or review article, a disclaimer shall be published, stating said editor was not involved in the editorial review or decision to accept the manuscript for publication.

NB: Witness acknowledges Annette Flanagin, RN, MA, FAAN Executive Managing Editor, JAMA and JAMA Network, Maureen “Shawn” Kennedy, MA, RN, FAAN ,Editor in Chief, American Journal of Nursing and Jane Barnsteiner, PhD, RN, FAAN Editor, Translational Research and Quality Improvement, American Journal of Nursing for the wording of these policies.