Conflicts of Interest Policy

Transparent disclosure of interests helps ensure independent and fair scientific assessment. This policy defines interests relevant to publication, participants' responsibilities, procedures for assessment, management measures and actions to be taken when undisclosed circumstances are identified.

01. Definition and scope

A conflict of interest arises when financial, personal, professional or institutional circumstances may influence scientific judgement or may reasonably be perceived as doing so. Both actual and potential interests must be disclosed; proof of actual bias is not required for disclosure.

These rules apply to authors, reviewers, editors, guest editors, editorial board members, participating staff, the founder and the publisher of Technosphere Safety. They apply to all types of material, including special issues, before and after publication.

Disclosure of an interest does not itself constitute misconduct or result in automatic rejection of an article. However, disclosure does not automatically resolve a conflict: recusal or other measures may be necessary where a substantial risk exists. When in doubt, participants must report the circumstances to the editorial office rather than independently determining that they are insignificant.

02. Circumstances requiring disclosure

  • Financial: employment, consultancy, honoraria, equity interests, patents, licensing income, paid travel, equipment or other benefits from organisations interested in the results.
  • Professional and academic: recent co-authorship, joint projects, academic supervision, employment-related dependence, direct competition for the same resource or contract, or involvement in a dispute connected with the research.
  • Personal: close family or other relationships, serious personal disagreements or circumstances that may compromise impartiality.
  • Institutional: an organisation's interest in a technology, research facility, funding arrangement, contract or findings, or a participant's administrative role within that organisation.
  • Other significant interests: public representation of an interested party, involvement in decisions concerning the matter under review, or views directly related to the subject of the work that may influence its assessment.

For example, relationships with a supplier of industrial safety equipment being studied, a developer of a fire protection system, a client commissioning an occupational risk assessment or an organisation interested in the results of technological hazard modelling require assessment. This list is not exhaustive.

Working in the same scientific field or having a reasoned disagreement with the findings does not, by itself, establish a conflict. Personal information and beliefs without a justified connection to the work under consideration are not requested. No monetary threshold is established below which a relevant financial relationship is automatically exempt from disclosure.

03. Disclosure period, timing and recipients

Direct support for a specific study must be disclosed for the entire period of its preparation and conduct. For other related relationships, the standard disclosure period is the preceding 36 months as of the date of submission or acceptance of an editorial assignment. Earlier circumstances must also be disclosed where their influence continues, such as an active patent, an ongoing relationship of dependence or an unresolved dispute.

  • Authors disclose information at initial submission and update it following significant changes, before final acceptance and during proof checking.
  • Reviewers disclose relevant relationships to the handling editor before accepting an invitation; if such circumstances become apparent later, they suspend their assessment and inform the editor.
  • Editors and editorial board members submit declarations upon appointment, confirm their accuracy at least annually and additionally assess relevant interests before each specific assignment.
  • Publisher staff and representatives disclose significant interests before participating in decisions, accessing sensitive materials or handling a complaint.

New circumstances must be reported without delay, including after publication. Information concerning the Editor-in-Chief's interests must be referred to a non-conflicted responsible person under the Editorial Governance and Independence Policy; an interested person must not assess their own conflict.

04. Authors' declaration and its publication

Each author must provide their own information or an explicit confirmation that no interests relevant to the work exist. The corresponding author consolidates verified information into an agreed statement but must not declare the absence of interests on behalf of a co-author who has not responded. The editorial office may request individual confirmation.

Where an interest exists, the statement identifies the author, organisation or party, nature of the relationship and relevance to the article's subject. The phrase "a conflict may exist" without explanation is insufficient. Circumstances must be described neutrally; personal documents and excessive financial details must not be included in the public statement.

Where all authors have confirmed the absence of relevant interests, the following wording may be used: "The authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial interests that could influence the work presented." Where at least one relevant interest exists, specific information must be provided instead of a general declaration of no interests.

The statement is published in every article. During double-anonymous peer review, identifying information is provided separately to the editorial office; reviewers receive information necessary for scientific assessment while anonymity is preserved as far as possible. Anonymisation must not be used to conceal a significant influence on the research.

05. Funding and the role of supporting parties

Research funding information and the declaration of interests are separate sections. The absence of a conflict does not remove the obligation to disclose grants, institutional support, material assistance or other forms of support. Where no funding was received, this must also be explicitly stated in the funding section.

Authors must describe the supporting party's role in defining the research question, selecting methods, collecting and analysing data, interpretation, manuscript preparation and the decision to submit. Where the supporting party did not participate in these activities, this must be stated. Mentioning an equipment supplier or data source only in the acknowledgements does not replace disclosure of a significant relationship.

Restrictions on authors' access to data, verification of results or independent presentation of conclusions must be disclosed. The editor may confidentially request relevant contractual terms. If reliability cannot be assessed because of an interested party's unresolvable control, consideration may be suspended or the article rejected with an explanation; commercial funding is not, by itself, grounds for rejection.

06. Participation of editors and reviewers

A reviewer must not be appointed if they work at the same institution as any author, have co-authored with an author or engaged in close research collaboration within the preceding three years, or have another significant conflict. These rules also apply to experts suggested by authors. Earlier relationships are assessed according to their continuing influence.

An editor must not handle their own work, manuscripts by close associates, or work involving direct professional dependence, significant financial interests or another relationship that prevents independent assessment. Co-authorship and close collaboration within the preceding three years are grounds for recusal. Shared institutional affiliation between an editor and an author must be disclosed and assessed separately; it does not override the stricter prohibition applicable to reviewers.

Where recusal is required, another qualified editor is appointed. If reassignment within the editorial office does not eliminate dependence or the risk of institutional influence, an editor from another institution is appointed. Appointment procedures, access restrictions and the independence of the replacement editor's decision are governed by the governance and peer-review policies.

Double anonymity does not guarantee the absence of conflicts. If a reviewer recognises an author or identifies a significant relationship, they must report it without deliberately seeking the author's identity. A review by an interested person does not count as an independent expert report required for acceptance.

07. Assessment and management of interests

Assessment is conducted by a non-conflicted handling editor. The editor determines the relationship of the interest to the work, the nature of its possible influence, the participant's role and the adequacy of proposed management measures. The declarant's own assessment is considered but does not replace the editorial decision.

  • If a circumstance is not relevant to the work, the basis for this conclusion is recorded; excessive personal information is not published.
  • Where an author has a significant interest, the public declaration is clarified; additional methodological information, data or independent assessment may be requested where necessary.
  • Where an editor or reviewer has a substantial conflict, recusal and replacement are required rather than merely publishing a declaration.
  • Where the influence may have affected an assessment already completed, the need for a new independent review is examined.
  • Where adequate independence or verifiability cannot be ensured, the editorial office explains any suspension or rejection and provides information about the appeals procedure.

The decision, management measures and responsible persons are documented. Additional checks are not a penalty for good-faith disclosure. Disclosure of an author's interest does not justify lowering reliability standards or waiving independent peer review.

08. Interests of the journal, founder and publisher

The Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers National Research University, as the founder, and I-EDU GROUP LLC, as the publisher, disclose the journal's organisational affiliation and sources of support relevant to its operations. Agreements, partnerships and institutional commitments that may affect a particular publication are reported to an independent handling editor; circumstances significant to readers are reflected in public information about the journal or article.

Coverage of author expenses, payments, advertising relationships or interests in journal performance indicators do not determine scientific decisions. Individuals deciding on an article do not handle its payment or fee waivers; remuneration is not dependent on article acceptance. The practical separation of functions is governed by the Editorial Governance and Independence Policy.

Up-to-date summaries of significant editorial, professional and financial interests relevant to the work of editors and board members are made public. Where they publish their own articles, their editorial roles are disclosed and independent handling is identified without revealing anonymous reviewers.

09. Undisclosed interests before and after publication

Any participant or reader may report a potential omission. The editorial office verifies the information and requests an explanation from the person concerned. The report itself does not prove either a conflict or intentional concealment; the facts, significance and potential impact on the work or its assessment are evaluated.

Before publication, the editorial office may suspend consideration, obtain a revised declaration, replace an interested participant and arrange reassessment. After the problem is resolved, consideration proceeds under the usual scientific criteria. Where there are indications of intentional concealment, the Policy on Handling Allegations of Misconduct applies.

After publication, where an omission is confirmed without affecting reliability, a correction to the declaration linked to the article is published. If the data, conclusions or independence of assessment were affected, the need for additional measures is determined under the Corrections, Retractions and Post-publication Updates Policy. An undisclosed interest does not automatically lead to retraction; the decision depends on the established impact.

Where necessary, the editorial office contacts the relevant research institution to request an investigation. The outcome is communicated to the participants and reporter within permissible limits without disclosing confidential information. The interested person's consent does not replace an independent assessment of the need to correct the scholarly record.

10. Confidentiality, enquiries and implementation

Declarations, clarifications, recusals and decision rationales are retained in secure editorial records with access restricted according to operational need. Articles publish the information readers need to understand relevant interests; complete internal documents and personal data are not automatically disclosed. Confidentiality must not be used to avoid a necessary public declaration.

Questions and reports should be submitted through OJS or to technosphere@tiiame.uz, identifying the manuscript or publication and the specific circumstance. Where a concern involves the Editor-in-Chief or publisher, the independent procedure under the governance policy applies; the University's official contact channels are also available at https://tiiame.uz/. Appeals are reviewed under the Complaints and Appeals Policy by a person who did not participate in the contested decision.

This policy takes effect following approval and official publication. Disclosures, assessments and updates are recorded with their actual dates. It complements the publication ethics rules; detailed procedures for peer review, governance, investigations and corrections are provided on the corresponding separate pages.

Methodological references

This policy takes into account COPE and ICMJE recommendations and principles of transparency in scholarly publishing. The specific disclosure periods and organisational measures established below are rules of the journal.

Back to top


ISSN 2181-3981 (Online)