Disclosures / Conflicts of Interest

It is the intent of UKCO to provide high quality sessions focused on educational content that is free from commercial influence or bias. In the interests of transparency and to help readers form their own judgments of potential bias, authors must declare whether or not there are any conflicts of interests in relation to the work described. In general terms, a conflict of interest exists when an individual has competing interests, which might impair their ability to make objective, unbiased decisions.

The corresponding author is responsible for submitting a conflicts of interest statement on behalf of all authors of the paper. These will be listed at the end of each published abstract.

In cases where the authors declare a conflict of interest, a statement to that effect is published as part of the abstract. If no such conflict exists, no statement is needed.

For the purposes of this statement, conflicts of interest are defined as those of a financial and non-financial nature that, through their potential influence on behaviour or content, or from perception of such potential influences, could undermine the objectivity, integrity or perceived value of a publication.

They can include any of the following:

• Funding: Research support (including salaries, equipment, supplies, reimbursement for attending symposia, and other expenses) by organisations that may gain or lose financially through publication of the work. The role of the funding body in the design of the study, collection and analysis of data and decision to publish should be stated.
• Employment: Recent (while engaged in the research project), present or anticipated employment by any organization that may gain or lose financially through publication of the work. This includes positions on an advisory board, board of directors, or other type of management relationship.
• Personal financial interests: Stocks or shares in companies that may gain or lose financially through publication of the work; consultation fees or other forms of remuneration from organisations that may gain or lose financially.
• Patents: Holding, or currently applying for, patents, relating to the content of a manuscript; receiving reimbursement, fees, funding, or salary from an organisation that holds or has applied for patents relating to the content of the abstract.
• Non-financial interests:
  • A close relationship with, or a strong antipathy to, a person whose interests may be affected by publication of the article.
  • An academic link or rivalry with someone whose interests may be affected by publication of the article.
  • Membership in a political party or special interest group whose interests may be affected by publication of the article.
  • A deep personal or religious conviction that may have affected what the author wrote and that readers should be aware of when reading the article.

It is difficult to specify a threshold at which a financial interest becomes significant, so all interests that could embarrass you were they to become publicly known after your work was published should be detailed.