Lilac Education Press upholds transparency and integrity in all research publications. Authors, reviewers, and editors are required to disclose any conflicts of interest that may influence the research process. A conflict of interest arises when personal, financial, or professional relationships could compromise objectivity in the submission, review, or editorial decision-making process.

This policy outlines the responsibilities of authors, reviewers, and editors in identifying and disclosing conflicts of interest to maintain academic credibility and ethical publishing standards.

What Constitutes a Conflict of Interest?

A conflict of interest occurs when:

• Financial Ties – Funding, employment, or financial investments may influence research outcomes.
• Institutional Affiliations – Authors or reviewers have affiliations that may bias the study or review.
• Personal Relationships – Family or close professional ties with editors, reviewers, or funders may affect objectivity.
• Competing Research Interests – Authors or reviewers have research competing with or directly opposing the submitted work.

For ethical compliance guidelines, visit Research Ethics & Integrity.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must disclose:

• Funding Sources – Any grants, sponsorships, or financial support received for the research.
• Institutional or Corporate Affiliations – Any relationships with organizations that could be seen as influencing the research.
• Personal Conflicts – Any non-financial relationships with editors, reviewers, or other authors involved in the submission.

Failure to disclose conflicts of interest may result in manuscript rejection or retraction.

For submission guidelines, refer to Guidelines for Authors.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer reviewers must:

• Decline Reviews When Conflicted – If a reviewer has financial, personal, or professional ties with the author(s) or research topic, they must decline the review.
• Maintain Objectivity – Reviews should be impartial and based solely on research quality.
• Disclose Competing Research – If a reviewer is working on similar research, they must inform the editorial team.

For details on ethical peer review, visit Peer Review Process.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors must:

• Remove Themselves from Biased Decisions – If an editor has a personal, professional, or financial connection to an author, another editor will be assigned to the submission.
• Ensure Fair Reviewer Selection – Editors must choose reviewers without conflicts of interest related to the manuscript.
• Maintain Editorial Independence – No editorial decision should be influenced by funding organizations or commercial entities.

For editorial integrity policies, visit Reviewer Resources.

Disclosure & Conflict of Interest Statements

All authors must include a Conflict of Interest Statement in their manuscript.

Example Statement:
“The author(s) declare no financial or personal conflicts of interest related to this research. Funding support from [Organization Name] was acknowledged but did not influence study design, data collection, or analysis.”

If conflicts exist, they must be explicitly stated in the submission.

Handling Undisclosed Conflicts

If a conflict of interest is discovered after publication, Lilac Education Press may:

• Issue a correction notice to disclose the conflict.
• Retract the article if the conflict compromised research integrity.
• Restrict future submissions from authors who intentionally failed to disclose conflicts.

For retraction policies, refer to Legal Notice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What happens if I forget to disclose a conflict of interest?
Authors should contact lilaceducationpress@gmail.com as soon as possible to update their disclosure.

Can I publish research funded by a corporation?
Yes, but you must disclose corporate funding sources in the manuscript.

Do reviewers have to disclose conflicts?
Yes, reviewers must decline assignments if they have competing research, financial conflicts, or relationships with authors.

For further assistance, visit Contact Us.

Explore Research Integrity Policies

• Research Ethics & Integrity
• Peer Review Process
• Legal Notice

Lilac Education Press ensures transparency, integrity, and ethical accountability in all research publications.