The Annals of King Edward Medical University is committed to transparency and integrity in scholarly publishing. A conflict of interest (COI) may arise when personal, professional, financial, or other relationships could reasonably be perceived as influencing the conduct, interpretation, or reporting of research.

Disclosure by Authors
All authors are required to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest related to the submitted manuscript. Disclosure is required even when the authors believe that the relationship has not influenced their work.
Relevant interests may include, but are not limited to:

1. Research grants or other financial support
2. Employment or consultancy
3. Honoraria or speaker fees
4. Stocks, shares, or other financial interests
5. Patents or intellectual property interests
6. Travel or educational support
7. Advisory or expert roles
8. Personal, professional, or institutional relationships that may influence the work
9. Other relationships or interests that could reasonably be perceived as a potential source of bias

Declaration During Submission

Authors should provide a conflict-of-interest declaration during manuscript submission and include a Conflict of Interest statement in the manuscript.

Authors are asked to complete a recognized disclosure form, such as the ICMJE Disclosure of Interest form, to provide further details.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The statement should clearly identify relevant interests for individual authors.

Where a conflict exists:

Dr. [Name] has received research funding from [Organization].

or

Dr. [Name] has received consultancy fees/speaker honoraria from [Organization].

Where no conflicts exist:

The authors declare no conflicts of interest related to this manuscript.

Where appropriate, authors may also state:

The authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial interests that could have influenced the work reported in this manuscript.

Editorial and Reviewer Conflicts

Editors, editorial board members, and peer reviewers must disclose any conflict of interest that could affect their impartiality. Individuals with significant conflicts should not participate in the evaluation or editorial decision-making process for the manuscript concerned.

Changes or Undisclosed Conflicts

Authors should notify the Editorial Office promptly if a relevant conflict becomes apparent after submission or publication.

Failure to disclose a relevant conflict of interest may result in appropriate editorial action, which may include requesting clarification or correction, rejection of the manuscript, publication of a correction or disclosure statement, or retraction where warranted. Such actions will be taken in accordance with recognized publication-ethics principles.

The journal reserves the right to request additional information regarding declared or potential conflicts of interest when necessary to ensure transparency and maintain the integrity of the publication process.