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<div class="et_pb_row et_pb_row_1"> <div class="et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_3 et_pb_column_1 et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough"> <div class="et_pb_module et_pb_code et_pb_code_1"> <div class="et_pb_code_inner"><div class="section-breadcrumb"><a href="http://authors.bmj.com/policies/"><img decoding="async" src="https://s16086.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Choosing-a-journal-140px.png"><p>Policies</p> </a></div></div> </div> <div class="et_pb_module et_pb_sidebar_0 et_pb_widget_area clearfix et_pb_widget_area_left et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_sidebar_no_border"> <div id="nav_menu-4" class="et_pb_widget widget_nav_menu"><h4 class="widgettitle">In this section:</h4><div class="menu-policies-container"><ul id="menu-policies-1" class="menu"><li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1246"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/advertising-sponsorship/">Advertising and sponsorship</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-3120"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/ai-use/">AI use</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-943"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/bmj-policy-on-authorship/">Authorship and contributorship</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page current-menu-item page_item page-item-309 current_page_item menu-item-942"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/competing-interests/" aria-current="page">Competing interests</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-925"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/complaints/">Complaints</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-926"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/copyright-and-authors-rights/">Copyright and authors’ rights</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-898"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/correction-retraction-policies/">Correction and retraction policies</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-951"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.bmj.com/company/your-privacy/">Data protection policy</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-927"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/data-sharing/">Data sharing</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1966"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/editor-roles-responsibilities/">Editor Roles & Responsibilities</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1960"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/funding/">Funding</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-3261"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/gender-identity-and-race-ethnicity-data-in-scholarone/">Gender identity and race & ethnicity data in ScholarOne</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1276"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/orcid/">ORCID</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1289"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/patient-public-partnership/">Patient and public partnership</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-930"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/patient-consent-and-confidentiality/">Patient consent and confidentiality</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-920"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/peer-review-terms-and-conditions/">Peer Review Terms and Conditions</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1207"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/preprints/">Preprints</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-913"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/publication-embargo/">Publication embargo</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-929"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/permissions/">Reproducing third party illustrative materials</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-936"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/research-ethics/">Research Ethics</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1298"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/after-submitting/rapid-responses/">Rapid responses</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-938"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/scientific-misconduct/">Scientific misconduct</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-3323"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/tobacco-policy/">Tobacco Policy</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-860"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/trial-registration/">Trial registration</a></li> </ul></div></div>  </div>  </div> <div class="et_pb_column et_pb_column_2_3 et_pb_column_2 et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough et-last-child"> <div class="et_pb_module et_pb_post_title et_pb_post_title_0 et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_text_align_left" > <div class="et_pb_title_container"> <h1 class="entry-title">Competing interests</h1> </div> </div><div class="et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_0 et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light"> <div class="et_pb_text_inner"><p>According to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors <a href="http://www.icmje.org/disclosure-of-interest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">uniform declaration of competing interests</a>, authors should disclose four types of information:</p> <ul> <li>Their associations with commercial entities that provided support for the work reported in the submitted manuscript (the time frame for disclosure in this section of the form is the lifespan of the work being reported).</li> <li>Their associations with commercial entities that could be viewed as having an interest in the general area of the submitted manuscript (the time frame for disclosure in this section is the 36 months before submission of the manuscript).</li> <li>Any similar financial associations involving their spouse or their children under 18 years of age.</li> <li>Non-financial associations that may be relevant to the submitted manuscript.</li> </ul> <p> </p> <h5>BMJ policy</h5> <p> </p> <p>BMJ believes that to make the best decision on how to deal with a manuscript the journal editor should know about any competing interests that authors may have. We are not aiming to eradicate competing interests as they are almost inevitable. We will not reject papers simply because authors have a competing interest, but these will be declared on the published paper.</p> <p>A competing interest exists when professional judgement concerning a primary interest (such as patients’ welfare or the validity of research) may be influenced by a secondary interest (such as financial gain or personal relationship). Perceptions of conflict of interest are as important as actual conflicts of interest. There is nothing inherently unethical about a competing interest but it should be acknowledged and openly stated.</p> <p>Examples of competing interests include the following: board membership, consultancy, employment, expert testimony grants (including pending), contract research, lectures/other education events, speakers’ bureaux, patents (planned, pending or issued), receipt of equipment or supplies, royalties, stock/stock options/other forms of ownership, additional expenses not included in COIs already specified, other personal or professional relationships that may influence or appear to influence.</p> <p>All authors must download and complete a copy of the <a href="http://www.icmje.org/conflicts-of-interest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ICMJE COI disclosure form</a> and send a copy to the corresponding author. The corresponding author will be required to include a summary Competing Interests statement for all authors in the manuscript, which will be included in the published article. If there are no competing interests for any authors, the default statement on the published article will be ‘None declared’.</p></div> </div> <div class="et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_1 et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light"> </div>  </div>  </div> <div class="et_pb_row et_pb_row_2"> <div class="et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et_pb_column_3 et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough et-last-child"> <div class="et_pb_module et_pb_sidebar_1 et_pb_widget_area clearfix et_pb_widget_area_left et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_sidebar_no_border"> <div id="nav_menu-4" class="et_pb_widget widget_nav_menu"><h4 class="widgettitle">In this section:</h4><div class="menu-policies-container"><ul id="menu-policies-2" class="menu"><li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1246"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/advertising-sponsorship/">Advertising and sponsorship</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-3120"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/ai-use/">AI use</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-943"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/bmj-policy-on-authorship/">Authorship and contributorship</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page current-menu-item page_item page-item-309 current_page_item menu-item-942"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/competing-interests/" aria-current="page">Competing interests</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-925"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/complaints/">Complaints</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-926"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/copyright-and-authors-rights/">Copyright and authors’ rights</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-898"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/correction-retraction-policies/">Correction and retraction policies</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-951"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.bmj.com/company/your-privacy/">Data protection policy</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-927"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/data-sharing/">Data sharing</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1966"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/editor-roles-responsibilities/">Editor Roles & Responsibilities</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1960"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/funding/">Funding</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-3261"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/gender-identity-and-race-ethnicity-data-in-scholarone/">Gender identity and race & ethnicity data in ScholarOne</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1276"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/orcid/">ORCID</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1289"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/patient-public-partnership/">Patient and public partnership</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-930"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/patient-consent-and-confidentiality/">Patient consent and confidentiality</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-920"><a href="https://authors.bmj.com/policies/peer-review-terms-and-conditions/">Peer Review Terms and Conditions</a></li> <li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1207"><a 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