Academic integrity and conflict of interest

As part of the ethical principles, members of the academic community undertake to:

• perform professional assessments or expertise with full responsibility, impartiality, and maximum objectivity; 
• not to allow conflict of interest, bias, purposeful distortions, or influence of one's person by external interests when performing expertise and assessment activities.

In order to ensure the highest possible level of transparency and objectivity of the review process, the FNS advocates minimizing conflict of interest so that the assessment of any publication or procedural activities is primarily ensured by persons who are not:

• in a close family relationship with the members of the academic community concerned
• co-authors of publications
• employees of the same workplace.

In exceptional cases, an exception to these rules may be granted by the dean of the faculty in accordance with the law.