How to Disclose Conflicts of Interest in Research

A conflict of interest exists when a relationship or interest could be perceived to influence, or actually influences, the design, conduct, analysis or reporting of research. Disclosure lets readers judge for themselves; it is expected of authors, reviewers and editors.

What to disclose

• Financial: grants, consulting fees, speaker fees, employment, stock or patents related to the topic or companies involved, and sponsor support.
• Non-financial: personal, professional or intellectual relationships or strongly held beliefs that might be seen to affect the work.
• Funding and role of funder: who paid for the study and whether they had any role in design, analysis or writing.

How to do it

1. Read the journal's instructions and, if required, complete the ICMJE Disclosure of Interest form (check the current form for time windows and categories).
2. Each author completes their own form or statement.
3. Summarise disclosures in the manuscript (usually a "Conflicts of interest" or "Competing interests" statement).
4. If there is no conflict, say so explicitly ("The authors declare no conflicts of interest").
5. Update the disclosure if circumstances change before publication.

Why it matters

Undisclosed interests can damage trust and lead to corrections or retraction. Having an interest is not misconduct; hiding it is a problem.

Illustrative example

Invented for teaching. An author received consulting fees from the manufacturer of the drug being studied. The manuscript states the fees, the manufacturer's non-involvement in analysis (if true) and the funding source. Editors and readers can then consider the potential influence.

Common pitfalls

• Thinking that small or past relationships are irrelevant.
• Forgetting that co-authors must disclose too.

Key takeaways

• When in doubt, disclose.
• Be complete, specific and consistent across forms and manuscript.

This page is general educational information about research methods. It is not medical, legal or regulatory advice; follow your institution's ethics board and your target journal's instructions.