Conflicts of Interest

Metaverse Science, Society and Law is committed to maintaining transparency, objectivity, and integrity in scholarly publishing. All participants in the editorial and peer review process - authors, editors, and reviewers—are required to disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest that could influence the content, assessment, or outcome of a submitted manuscript.

1. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest (COI) exists when professional judgment concerning a primary interest (such as the quality of research or editorial decision-making) may be influenced by a secondary interest, such as financial, personal, institutional, or professional relationships.

COIs may be:

• Financial (e.g., funding, paid consultancies, stock ownership, intellectual property rights)
  
• Personal or professional (e.g., close personal relationships, academic competition, collaboration or rivalry)
  
• Institutional (e.g., institutional affiliations that may affect objectivity)
  
  

2. Disclosure by Authors

Authors must disclose any relationships or interests that may be perceived as influencing the research, including:

• Sources of funding and financial support
  
• Ownership of data, patents, or intellectual property
  
• Employment, board membership, or consultancy related to the research
  
• Non-financial conflicts such as political, personal, or academic interests
  
  

All disclosures must be included in a “Conflicts of Interest” section within the manuscript. If there are no conflicts to declare, authors must state: “The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

3. Disclosure by Editors and Reviewers

Editors and reviewers must recuse themselves from handling or evaluating a manuscript if they:

• Have recently collaborated with any of the authors
  
• Have a personal or professional relationship with the authors
  
• Stand to benefit financially or reputationally from the manuscript’s acceptance or rejection
  

Editors and reviewers are expected to declare all relevant conflicts before engaging in the editorial process.

4. Journal Responsibilities

The editorial team is responsible for managing and mitigating conflicts of interest throughout the editorial workflow. Where necessary, alternate editors will be assigned to ensure impartiality.

5. Transparency in Publication

Disclosed conflicts of interest will be published with the article when relevant. The journal reserves the right to request additional clarifications or take editorial action in cases of undisclosed or misrepresented COIs.