Declaration Statement:
When writing an article, authors need to include a declaration of accountability that outlines the involvement of each author, including all types of articles. The level of detail required may vary depending on the topic. Articles may contain contributions from individuals that can be easily identified, while others are collaborative. The recommended approach is placing the declaration after the conclusion but before the reference section.

Authors ensure that the article remains free from Conflicts of Interest. If there are any, explain them. Let readers know if there was any financial support. Confirm ethical approval and provide evidence if needed. Make research data and materials accessible. Indicate the roles of multiple authors.

  1. Conflicts of Interest/ Competing Interests:
    Ensuring that the article remains free from competing interests is essential. I    f competing interests exist, a proper explanation should be provided1,2. For more detailed information, please visit the conflicts of Interest/ competing interest policy. 
  2. Financial Support:
    The authors must provide details about any financial support they received, such as funds, grants, or other forms of assistance, in the suggested format below.
    The ABC {author’s name} has disclosed that they received financial support for their research work from XYZ {funder name} with grant numbers xyxyx, URL {online available information if any}.
  3. Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate: 
    The author must submit a statement confirming there is no need for ethical approval and consent to participate and provide supporting evidence if required3,4. For more detailed information, please visit the misconduct/ plagiarism policy. 
  4. Data and Material Availability Statement/ Data Access Statement: 
    Authors should ensure their research data is easily accessible and provide information on where it can be found. Be clear about accessibility restrictions, especially if a for-profit organisation is involved. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring resources are available. Use established public repositories for biological materials and provide enough information for precise replication. Data and materials should be accessible for a reasonable time after publication5,6. For more detailed information, please visit the material availability and data access statement policy. 
  5. Authors Contributions:
    When there are multiple authors, please indicate their roles in the article. For instance, all authors contributed equally to this article. Alternatively, Author X was responsible for algorithm development, Author Y conducted the results section, and Author Z created the block diagram. Authors need to declare their accountability in writing, even for review-type articles, specifying each author’s involvement7,8. For more detailed information, please visit the authorship policy.

References:

  1. WAME – Conflict of Interest in Peer-Reviewed Medical Journals
  2. COPE- Conflicts of interest / Competing interests
  3. ORI Policy on Plagiarism
  4. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) – Scientific Misconduct, Expressions of Concern, and Retraction
  5. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) – Data Sharing
  6. COPE- Data Availability Statements
  7. WAME – Authorship
  8. COPE- Authorship and Contributorship