I. Policy Statement

The integrity of the scholarly record rests on the objectivity and transparency of the publication process. Passerelle maintains a strict policy to manage and disclose all potential conflicts of interest that could, or could be perceived to, undermine the trust in our published work.

A conflict of interest (COI) exists when professional judgment concerning a primary interest (such as the validity of research) may be influenced by a secondary interest (such as financial gain or personal relationships).

This policy requires full disclosure from all participants in the publication process, including Authors, Peer Reviewers, and Editors.

II. Definition of a Conflict of Interest

Passerelle requires the disclosure of any and all interests that could compromise, or be perceived to compromise, the impartiality of the research or publication.

This definition is comprehensive and includes Financial Conflicts (such as employment, stock ownership, paid consultancies, honoraria, or patent applications/registrations that are related to the work); Personal Conflicts (such as close personal relationships, family ties, or deeply held personal beliefs that are directly relevant to the manuscript's topic); and Professional Conflicts (such as recent or current collaborations, direct professional competition, known mentor/mentee relationships, or institutional rivalries that could impede an objective assessment).

III. Responsibilities for Disclosure

A. For Authors

Authors must provide a formal "Declaration of Competing Interests" with their manuscript at the time of submission. This declaration is a condition of publication and will be published as part of the final article.

Location: This statement must be included in the manuscript as a separate section, titled "Declaration of Competing Interests", placed before the References section.

Instructions: Authors are required to use one of the following templates as a mandatory structural framework. The language within the templates should be adapted and expanded by the authors to provide a clear and comprehensive disclosure of all relevant interests, ensuring the statement covers all authors on the manuscript. Authors must provide specific details (e.g., naming the company, outlining the nature of the relationship, or stating the relevant date) where applicable.

Template 1: No Conflicts of Interest

Declaration of Competing Interests

• The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Template 2: Conflicts of Interest Declared

Declaration of Competing Interests

• Author A is currently in a direct or recent hierarchical relationship (e.g., student/supervisor) with a member of the Journal's Editorial Board.
• Authors B and C are affiliated with the same institutional environment (e.g., research laboratory or department) as Reviewer X, but have no direct supervisory relationship.
• Author E has received grant funding from a non-university entity (e.g., a governmental, cultural, or advocacy foundation) for fieldwork costs related to this manuscript.
• Author F declares no conflict of interest.

(Note: All funding sources not related to a direct conflict must also be declared separately in a "Funding Statement," as per our Ethical Standards.)

B. For Peer Reviewers

Peer reviewers are required to maintain strict confidentiality and objectivity, as outlined in our Reviewer Guidelines.

• Reviewers must immediately decline an invitation to review if they have a competing interest (such as being a direct competitor, a recent collaborator, or having a close personal relationship with any of the authors).
• Reviewers who have a minor or perceived conflict, but believe they can still provide an objective review, must declare this to the editor in their confidential comments. The editor will make the final decision.
• All reviewers must treat the manuscript as a confidential document.

C. For Editors and Editorial Board Members

All editors and Editorial Board members must operate with the highest ethical standards.

• Editors must recuse themselves from the editorial process (including assignment, review, and decision-making) for any manuscript with which they have a financial, personal, or professional conflict.
• In such cases, the manuscript will be reassigned to another editor who has no conflict of interest to ensure an impartial evaluation.

IV. Handling Undisclosed Conflicts

Failure to disclose a conflict of interest is a severe breach of our Ethical Standards.

Passerelle will investigate all allegations of undisclosed conflicts, following the procedures outlined in our Publication Malpractice Statement.

• Before Publication: If an undisclosed conflict is discovered during the review process, the manuscript will be immediately rejected.
• After Publication: If an undisclosed conflict is discovered after publication and subsequently confirmed by the investigation, the journal will issue a public Correction, Expression of Concern, or a full Retraction of the article, as governed by our Withdrawal / Retraction Policy.

The journal reserves the right to notify the authors' or reviewers' home institutions of such ethical breaches.