Square One

Member journals of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) have simultaneously published an editorial proposing a uniform format for requesting and reporting competing interest information from authors:

We ask authors to disclose four types of information. Firstly, their associations with commercial entities that provided support for the work reported in the submitted manuscript (the time frame for disclosure in this section of the form is the lifespan of the work being reported). Secondly, their associations with commercial entities that could be viewed as having an interest in the general area of the submitted manuscript (the time frame for disclosure in this section is the 36 months before submission of the manuscript). Thirdly, any similar financial associations involving their spouse or their children under 18 years of age. Fourthly, non-financial associations that may be relevant to the submitted manuscript.

The new form is here and there are instructions and examples to help authors provide the information here.