The Japan Academy of Nursing Science
Conflict of Interest Management Guidelines for Academic Activities

• Conflict of Interest Management Guidelines for Academic Activities at the Japan Academy of Nursing Science

Preface

The Japan Academy of Nursing Science (hereafter referred to as "the Society"), a public interest incorporated association, aims to contribute to the health and welfare of people by promoting the development of nursing science and the exchange of knowledge widely through the promotion of projects related to academic research in the nursing science field, including holding academic meetings, publishing academic journals, and cooperating and collaborating with related academic organizations at home and abroad. The purpose of this project is to contribute to the health and welfare of people. In many cases, such nursing research is conducted through industry-academia collaboration with companies, organizations, and groups. Although openness and neutrality are required in research, there is a conflict of interest (COI) in industry-academia collaborative research, in which two interests arise within an individual researcher: the return to society of the results obtained by fulfilling academic and ethical responsibilities (public interest), and the financial, position, interest, etc. (private interest) acquired by the individual researcher through industry-academia collaborative activities (private interest). If the COI situation is serious, the human rights of research subjects and the safety and security of their lives may be impaired, and the research methods, data analysis, and interpretation of results may be distorted. It is also possible that the results of the research may not be evaluated fairly, despite the fact that they are appropriate.

The Society has established these guidelines in order to ensure the openness and neutrality of the Society's research, actively promote nursing research activities, and fulfill its social responsibilities by presenting its basic stance on COI to its members.

Purpose

As stated in the Declaration of Helsinki, Ethical Guidelines for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare), and Ethical Guidelines for Nursing Research (Japanese Nursing Association), research involving human subjects requires special consideration to protect human rights and lives and to conduct it safely. In light of the social responsibility and high level of ethics required in its activities, the Society has established the "Guidelines on Conflict of Interest (COI) in Nursing Research" (hereinafter referred to as the "Guidelines").

The purpose of these guidelines is to fulfill our social responsibility by appropriately managing the COI status of our members, thereby contributing to the advancement of nursing science and nursing practice through the publication of research results and their promotion in an appropriate manner while maintaining openness and neutrality. This guideline presents the basic concept of COI to members and others, and requires them to appropriately disclose their own COI status through self-reporting and to comply with this guideline when participating in and presenting on projects conducted by the Society.

2. Targets

These guidelines apply to the following subjects who may be subject to COI conditions
(1) Members of the Society (regular members, student members, supporting members, honorary members)
(2) Those who make a presentation or lecture at the meeting
(3) Officers of the Society (President, Vice President, Directors, and Auditors), President of the Scientific Assembly
(4) Members of various committees, etc.
(5) Society office staff
(6) Spouses, relatives within the first degree of kinship, or persons who share income or property interests with the subject of (1), (3), or (5) above.

3. activities to be covered

This guideline shall be applied to all business activities conducted by the Society. In particular, compliance with these guidelines is required when making presentations in the Journal of the Society, at the Society's scientific meetings, and at related seminars. Compliance with these guidelines is especially required when giving educational lectures to Society members and public lectures to the public, since these activities have a strong social impact.

Items to be declared

The subject person shall report to the President of the Society the exact status of the following items 1) and 2), if they exceed the standards specified in the bylaws. The method of disclosure and publication of the reported contents shall be stipulated separately in the bylaws.

(1) Economic Conflicts of Interest
　(1) Appointment as a director, advisor, or employee of a company, corporate organization, or association
　(2) Equity (e.g., stock) holdings in the partner of industry-academia collaboration activities
　(3) Royalties from companies, corporate organizations, and associations for patent rights, etc.
　(4) Per diem (e.g., lecture fees) paid by a company, corporate organization, or association for time and effort spent by the researcher in attending (presenting at) a conference.
　(5)Manuscript fees paid by companies, corporate organizations, and associations for writing brochures and other materials
　(6) Research funds provided by companies, corporate organizations, and groups (funded research, joint research, donations, etc.)
　(7)Scholarship (incentive) donations provided by companies, corporate organizations, and associations
　(8)If you are a member of an endowed course offered by a company, corporate organization or association
　(9) Other travel, gifts, etc. not directly related to research expenses

(2) Conflicts of interest not included in 1)
　　If you are in a position of personal interest (especially with respect to conflicts of obligation)

5. matters to be avoided in relation to COI

1) Publication of the results of nursing research should be based purely on scientific evidence and judgment or public interest. 2) Subjects should not be influenced by the arbitrary intentions of funders or companies regarding the content of the publication of nursing research results and their interpretation, nor should they enter into agreements with funders or other parties where such influence cannot be avoided.

2) The general manager who has decision-making authority in nursing research, especially in the planning and implementation of research, should be selected as a researcher who is socially regarded as not being in a state of significant COI (having few relationships with the sponsor) regarding the following items, and should maintain this status even after the selection.
　(1) Ownership of shares in the company requesting the research
　(2) Obtaining patent fees, patent rights, etc. for products and technologies resulting from research
　(3) Officers, directors, advisors, etc. of companies or for-profit organizations requesting research (except for free of charge)
　However, even if a researcher falls under (1) through (3), if the researcher is indispensable in planning and executing the nursing research in question and the nursing research in question has extremely important social significance, the researcher may be appointed as the principal investigator of the nursing research in question as long as the impartiality, fairness, and transparency of the judgment and measures taken are clearly guaranteed. The Director may assume the position of the person in charge of the nursing research as long as the fairness, impartiality, and transparency of his/her judgment and actions are clearly guaranteed.

6. Implementation Method

(1) All authors who publish the results of their research in academic journals and all speakers (including co-speakers) who make presentations at scientific meetings, etc., shall declare their COI status related to the conduct of the relevant research at the time of article submission and abstract registration in accordance with the detailed regulations of these guidelines, and if there is any COI status that they are obliged to disclose, they shall disclose it at the time of presentation.

(2) The president, vice president, directors, auditors, chairpersons of scientific meetings, and members of various committees, etc. of this association have important roles and responsibilities for all business activities related to this association, so they shall disclose their COI status related to such business through self-reporting when they assume office. In addition, if a new COI status arises after assuming office, an amended declaration shall be filed.

(3)The Board of Directors may consult with the Conflict of Interest Committee in the event that a serious COI condition arises for a subject in any business conducted by the Society, or if a COI self-report indicates that the report is inappropriate, and may direct remedial measures, etc. based on the report.

(4) When an article or other publication of research results is published in an academic journal or other publication, the editorial board of the journal will verify that the implementation of the research is in accordance with these guidelines, and may take measures such as withholding the publication if it is contrary to these guidelines. In such cases, we will promptly notify the contributor of the paper, etc. concerned with the reasons. If it is found after publication of the article that the guidelines have been violated, the Editor-in-Chief may make a public announcement to that effect in the name of the Editor-in-Chief in the relevant publication. The Editor-in-Chief may consult with the Conflict of Interest Committee when taking these measures, and may instruct remedial measures, etc., based on the report of the Committee.

(5) When research results, etc. are to be presented at an academic meeting, the president of the academic meeting shall verify that the implementation of the research is in accordance with these guidelines, and may take measures such as suspending the presentation of abstracts that are in violation of these guidelines. In such a case, the prospective presenters will be promptly notified with the reason for the suspension. The Conflict of Interest Committee shall be consulted at the time of taking such measures, and the Committee may give instructions for remedial measures based on the report of the Conflict of Interest Committee.

(6) Other committee chairs and members shall verify that the implementation of their respective activities is in line with these Guidelines with regard to the Society's business in which they are involved, and if a situation arises that violates these Guidelines, they shall promptly consider measures to remedy the situation. The Conflict of Interest Committee shall be consulted on these actions, and the Board of Directors may direct remedial measures, etc., based on the report of the Conflict of Interest Committee.

7. actions and accountability for violators of the guidelines

1) Actions taken against those who violate the guidelines
　The Board of Directors of the Society has the authority to deliberate on violators of these guidelines, and after consulting with the Conflict of Interest Committee and receiving a report, if the Board of Directors determines that there has been a serious violation of the guidelines, it may take all or some of the following measures for a certain period depending on the degree of the violation.
　(1) Prohibited from presenting at all lectures held by the Society
　(2) Prohibition of publication of articles in the Society's publications
　(3) Prohibition of assuming the position of head of an academic meeting of the Society
　(4) Prohibition of participation in the Society's board and committee meetings
　(5) Dismissal of a delegate of the Society or prohibition of a delegate from becoming a delegate.
　(6) Suspension, expulsion, or prohibition of membership of the Society's members

2) Appeal
　The aggrieved party may appeal to the Society. Upon receipt, the President of the Society shall promptly refer the appeal to the Conflict of Interest Committee for re-examination, discuss its report with the Board of Directors, and notify the complainant of the result.

3) Accountability
　If the Society determines that there is a serious violation of compliance with these guidelines in the publication of research results, the Society will immediately become accountable to society through consultation with the Board of Directors.

8. enactment of bylaws

The Society may establish bylaws as necessary to administer these guidelines.

9. revision of guidelines

These guidelines may be periodically reviewed and revised to conform to social factors, changes and developments in laws and regulations concerning industry-university collaboration, and conditions surrounding medical care and research.

Supplementary Provisions

These guidelines shall go into effect on June 22, 2015. However, it will be in full effect from April 1, 2016, and will be in a trial period until then.
The amendments to these guidelines shall go into effect on June 16, 2019.
The amendments to these guidelines shall go into effect on June 18, 2023.
The amendments to these guidelines shall go into effect on September 5, 2023.
The amendments to these guidelines shall go into effect on October 23, 2024.