Report from the COPE Education Committee
Conflicts of interests, or competing interests, can influence research work, from development of a question to publication of the work and its ultimate use in changing practice or thought about a topic. As conflicting or competing interests have the potential to influence authors, reviewers, editors and publishers, questions about real or perceived conflicts of interest will be common for those of us who work in publications.
COPE has significant resources available on our website for members to learn about conflicts of interest. The eLearning series presents a specific module on the topic, and it is woven into the entire series as well. This series provides an excellent foundation for learners about publication ethics in general with links to other organisations’ statements about conflicts of interest and other resources for the learner.
There are 66 cases in the COPE cases database with conflicts of interest as a key word. These include specific cases, most of which are resolved, that may answer your specific question. These cases come from discussions at the COPE Forum where members of COPE are encouraged to attend, as well as submit cases.
There are also flowcharts for editors to use when a reviewer or reader contacts the editor to raise concerns about undisclosed conflicts. Additionally, COPE provides sample letters editors can use as templates for addressing authors and reviewers when questions of conflicts arise.
Several common themes arise among these many resources:
(1) Conflicts of interests are a problem whether they are real or perceived and they need to be declared.
(2) A conflict of interest does not negate the validity of submitted work and it is important to allow the reviewer or reader to consider all potential conflicts in his or her evaluation of the work.
(3) Journal editors and publishers should have clear, written, published guidelines about conflicts of interests to which they adhere.
Consider perusing the COPE website for resources to develop these guidelines and to advise you when specific situations occur. If the support for your specific question isn’t available, consider submitting a case to the Forum.