Conflicts of Interest / Competing Interests

StatX: Journal of Advanced Statistical Methods and Applications is committed to maintaining the highest standards of transparency and ethical conduct in scholarly publishing. This policy outlines the definition of conflicts of interest and the procedures for handling conflicts of interest involving authors, reviewers, editors, the journal, and the publisher, whether identified before or after publication. The journal follows the Core Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Definition of Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest arises when an individual or institution has financial, personal, professional, academic, or other relationships or interests that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, their objectivity, integrity, or decision-making in the research, review, editorial, or publication process.

Identification of Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, editors, and all parties involved in the publication process must disclose any potential conflicts of interest relevant to the manuscript they submit, review, edit, or publish. These may include, but are not limited to:

• Financial interests: funding sources, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, grants, honoraria, or other financial relationships related to the research.
• Personal relationships: close personal, family, or other relationships with individuals involved in the research or publication process.
• Academic relationships: collaborations, institutional affiliations, academic competition, or supervisory relationships that may affect objectivity.
• Competing affiliations: associations with organizations that may have a competing interest in the research or its outcome.
• Intellectual property interests: patents, copyrights, licenses, or other intellectual property rights that may be influenced by the publication.

Handling Conflicts of Interest

StatX: Journal of Advanced Statistical Methods and Applications will handle conflicts of interest with diligence, fairness, and transparency.

For Authors

Authors must disclose all relevant conflicts of interest during the manuscript submission process. If a conflict of interest is discovered after publication, the authors must promptly inform the editorial board. The journal will address the matter transparently and may publish a correction, disclosure statement, or other notice when necessary.

For Reviewers

Reviewers must decline invitations to review manuscripts if they have any conflict of interest that may affect their impartiality or judgment. If a conflict becomes apparent during the review process, the reviewer must notify the editorial board immediately so that appropriate action can be taken.

For Editors and Journal Staff

Editors and journal staff must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest. In such cases, the manuscript will be reassigned to another editor or an appropriate independent decision-maker. When necessary, the editorial board will determine the proper course of action.

For the Publisher

The publisher must maintain policies and practices to identify and manage potential conflicts of interest within its organization. Editorial decisions must remain independent and must not be influenced by financial considerations, sponsorship, advertising, or other competing interests.

Transparency and Disclosure

StatX: Journal of Advanced Statistical Methods and Applications clearly states its conflict of interest policy and requires all relevant parties to comply with disclosure requirements. Conflict of interest disclosures provided by authors will be published alongside the article when appropriate. The journal will also take steps to limit the involvement of editors, reviewers, or other stakeholders in the editorial process when they are authors or co-authors of a submitted manuscript, in order to preserve fairness and confidentiality.

Review of the Policy

StatX: Journal of Advanced Statistical Methods and Applications will periodically review and update this policy to ensure its effectiveness and alignment with best practices in scholarly publishing. Any revisions to this policy will be communicated to relevant stakeholders and made publicly available on the journal’s website.