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2 years ago in Peer Review By Deepa S

How do I manage reviewing a paper that is directly competing with my own unpublished work?

I've been asked to review a paper on a topic where I have an unpublished manuscript with very similar findings. I want to be fair, but I'm worried about bias or accidentally using their ideas. What should I do?

All Answers (2 Answers In All)

By Mukesh Answered 2 months ago

Yes. Today, financial literacy is widely seen as a combination of knowledge (understanding financial concepts), attitudes (beliefs and mindset about money), and behaviors (how people actually manage finances). Having just one or two isn’t enough—real financial capability needs all three working together.

By Rupert Answered 1 year ago

This is a clear conflict of interest that jeopardizes both your impartiality and the authors' intellectual property. The only ethical course is to decline the review invitation immediately. In your response to the editor, state: "Thank you for this invitation. Due to a conflict of interest as I am actively working on a very similar study, I must decline to review this manuscript. I recommend you seek a reviewer without this conflict to ensure a fair evaluation." Do not download or read the manuscript. This protects the authors' ideas and your own. It also protects you from accusations of bias or idea theft. Being proactive about COIs is a mark of a responsible scholar. The editor will appreciate your honesty and prompt response.

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