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Uni-edit English Writing Tip 008

Do you have a conflict of interest?

Difficulty: Easy

In an ideal world, research is objective and impartial. The facts are
the facts, and the academic author is the objective reporter and
analyzer of these facts.

In the real world that you and I live in, authors have many interests
and activities to balance. For example, Doctor Chang may be a practicing
physician, serve on a journal review board, receive research funding
from a pharmaceutical company, and occasionally speak on behalf of a
medical device company. It is natural for professionals to serve many
roles in society, and having several sources of income is not
prohibited. However, when the motivation of one role infringes upon the
duties of another role, this can present a conflict of interest.

If Doctor Chang receives funding from Pharmaceutical Company A, he might
want to, consciously or subconsciously, report favorable findings about
one of Company A’s drugs. He may be encouraged to prescribe the drug to
his patients, perhaps when another drug would be more effective or
appropriate.

Just because Doctor Chang receives funding from Company A does not mean
he will always report results that are favorable to Company A, nor does
it mean he cannot research investigating Company A’s products. A
conflict of interest is just the potential for misconduct: a place where
extra transparency can help build trust. A conflict of interest is where
human relationships, for better or worse, could affect the objectivity
of research.

Conflicts of interest are a normal part of academic publishing. A
reputable researcher usually has conflicts of interest to report;
however, he conducts his research honestly and ethically. By disclosing
conflicts of interest, especially research funding, in your journal
submissions and papers, readers are alerted that research is a human
endeavor, and that the research results should be examined carefully.
However, there is a positive aspect too. Declaring conflicts of interest
is an act of honesty: it says the author has nothing to hide, and can be
trusted.

Scientific journals take conflicts of interest very seriously. Journal
authors are typically required to state any conflicts of interest in a
separate section when they submit manuscripts.