Conflict of Interest Policy

In accordance with the principles of ethics and transparency that guide the editorial workflow, the Brazilian Journal of Agribusiness – BJOA requires all members of its editorial team to disclose any interests—financial or otherwise—that may influence, or appear to influence, their editorial practices. Failure to make such a disclosure constitutes a disciplinary violation.

Definition of Conflict of Interest

For the purposes of this policy, the BJOA defines a conflict of interest as any financial or non-financial circumstance that may compromise—or be perceived as compromising—the objectivity, integrity and scientific credibility of a publication. This includes potential influences on the judgments and actions of authors regarding the presentation, analysis and interpretation of data.

Financial Conflicts of Interest

Examples of financial competing interests include:

Funding: Research support (including salaries, equipment, materials and operational expenses) from organizations that may benefit or suffer financially from the publication. The role of the funder in study design, data collection and analysis, manuscript preparation and decision to publish must be disclosed.

Employment: Current, recent or expected employment at an institution or company with a direct financial interest in the outcomes of the research.

Personal financial interests: Shareholding, consultancy fees, fellowships or any financial compensation from organizations that may be affected by the content of the article. This also includes patents (granted or pending) with potential financial implications related to the publication. For patents and patent applications, authors must disclose:

  • The name of the applicant(s) and inventor(s)
  • The application number
  • The current status
  • The specific aspect of the manuscript covered by the patent.

As a practical guideline, we encourage authors to reflect:

"Would it be embarrassing if this interest were made public after my article is published?"

Non-Financial Conflicts of Interest

Non-financial conflicts refer to situations where the personal interests of authors, reviewers, or editors may influence the publishing process in a non-monetary way. This may include:

  • Personal relationships
  • Career ambitions
  • Institutional loyalties
  • Personal beliefs that may compromise the objectivity and impartiality of the work.

Authors, reviewers and editors are encouraged to declare any affiliation or relationship that may compromise the impartiality of the editorial process.

Role of the Funding Source

Authors must identify the entity or entities that provided financial support for conducting the research and/or preparing the article. They must also briefly describe the role of the sponsor(s), if any, in:

  • Study design
  • Data collection
  • Analysis and interpretation
  • Writing the manuscript
  • The decision to submit the article for publication

Important Note:

The BJOA guarantees transparent disclosure of declared conflicts in published articles.

Objective: To ensure scientific credibility and public trust in the editorial process.