Conflict of Interest

Purpose

The purpose of this section is to identify and manage any potential or actual conflicts of interest that may influence the objectivity, integrity, and perception of the research published in the Argentinian Journal of Respiratory and Physical Therapy. A conflict of interest arises when personal, financial, or professional factors may affect or appear to affect the neutrality or objectivity of the author, reviewers, or editors.

Definition

A conflict of interest occurs when an individual (or the institution they belong to) has personal, financial, academic, or professional interests that may influence, or appear to influence, their judgment and objectivity in research, review, or editorial processes. This includes, but is not limited to, direct or indirect financial benefits, patents, personal or professional relationships, institutional affiliations, and personal beliefs. We strongly recommend consulting the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in order to expand the significances of the definition.

Disclosure

All authors are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest at the time of manuscript submission. This includes, but is not limited to, research funding, institutional affiliations, consultancies, stock ownership, speaking fees, or patents. Therefore, authors are required to upload the Declaration of Ethical Aspects, Conflict of Interests, Originality, and Copyright in our editorial management system (OJS) when submitting their manuscript. Failure to disclose a relevant conflict of interest may result in the retraction of the manuscript or published article.

Management Process

The journal will evaluate all disclosures of conflicts of interest. If a conflict is identified, appropriate measures will be taken to ensure an objective evaluation of the manuscript. This may include assigning reviewers and editors who have no conflicts of interest, amending the conflict of interest statement in the published article, or, in extreme cases, rejecting the manuscript. The steps proposed by COPE will be followed in case of suspected conflicts of interest in a received manuscript. In any case, the information should be provided through our editorial management system (OJS) or by writing to info@ajrpt.com.

Responsibility and Compliance

The responsibility to declare any conflicts of interest lies with the authors, reviewers, and editors involved in the publication process. The journal reserves the right to verify the information provided and take corrective actions if non-compliance is discovered after publication. The steps proposed by COPE will be followed in case of suspected conflicts of interest in a published article.