Guidelines for Conflict of Interest (COI) in Medical Research
Conflict of Interest (COI) Committee,
The Japan Neurosurgical Society (JNS)
I. Purpose
Many of the medical research articles presented at academic societies or in publications
such as journals involve pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and related technology.
Research and development is often conducted through industrial and academic
collaboration. Although medical research involving such collaboration is extremely
important to medical science progress, it may also attract the public interest byproducing academic benefits for society and private interests, including money, position,and the rights and interests acquired through such collaboration. Conflicts of interest(COIs) may thus occur where interests conflict an individual researcher, for example.
Serious COIs may even distort research methods, data analysis, or the interpretation ofresults, or produce research results that lack neutrality and fairness, however reasonable
they may appear. Medical research requires that COI problems involving clinicalresearch be handled carefully to ensure ethical and scientific validity while protecting
study subjects’ human rights, lives, and safety.
The Japan Neurosurgical Society (JNS) recognizes that actively promoting medical
research is its social responsibility and that, in doing so, Guidelines for COI in Medical
Research must clarify corporate policy on COI to JNS members.
The purpose of these Guidelines is to fulfill corporate social responsibility forhelping promote the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of neurological disease
through appropriately presenting and disseminating research results through appropriate
JNS management of COI status of members while ensuring justice, neutrality, andfairness in medical research involving industrial and academic collaboration.
These Guidelines provide the basic COI principles for JNS members and the JNS
requires that members involved in activities conducted by the JNS comply with theseGuidelines as specified below.
These Guidelines describe the core of JNS COI management. For concepts and otherdetails of COI, see the Japanese Association of Medical Science website:
http://jams.med.or.jp/guideline/index.html.
II. Scope
The Guidelines apply to the following in which COI status may occur:(1) JNS directors, auditors, and delegates(2) All JNS members in addition to the above officials(3) Nonmembers making presentations at scientific annual meetings and scientificbranch meetings held by the JNS and who present articles in the JNS journal of
Neurologia medico-chirurgica(4) JNS clerical staff

1III. Applications
The Guidelines apply to all activities involving the JNS, particularly researchers making
academic presentations at scientific annual meetings, scientific branch meetings, andlectures held by the JNS, as well as researchers who present articles in the JNS journal,
who are required to ensure any medical research presented complies with Guidelines.
Compliance with the Guidelines is also required of, among others, lecturers speaking toJNS members or giving lectures open to the general public because of the potentiallygreat impact of such lectures on society.
IV. Matters Disclosed and Published
Matters related to the above persons fall under items (1) through (6), below, and to theirspouses, first-degree relatives, and any others with whom the above persons shareincome and property falling under items (1) through (3), below. Such persons have theobligation to disclose the exact status of COI through self-reporting based on the criteria
in Bylaws on COI in Medical Research, specified separately. Those making such reports
assume responsibility for the content of such reports:(1) Employment/Leadership position/Advisory role(2) Stock ownership or options(3) Patent royalties/licensing fees(4) Honoraria (e.g. lecture fees)(5) Fees for promotional materials (e.g. manuscript fee)(6) Research funding
V. COI Status and Situations to Be Avoided
1. Situations that all specified persons must avoid
Publication of medical research results must be based on scientific judgment andthe public interest. No publication related to activities by the JNS should be adversely
affected by the arbitrary intent of research-funding parties or specific companies
regarding the determination of whether medical research results must be presented atacademic societies or published in articles or contents including results of medical
research and the interpretation thereof, and no agreements should be concluded making
influence unavoidable.
2. Situations to be avoided by those conducting clinical research
When conducting clinical research (including clinical studies and trials),
researchers must avoid the following COI status:(1) Receipt of considerations for mediating for or introducing clinical study subjects(2) Receipt of considerations for accumulating study subjects within a given period(3) Receipt of performance remuneration for particular research results(4) Conclusion of agreements enabling funding parties or companies to influence
determinations on academic presentations of research results or articles
3. Situations to be avoided by clinical research investigators
Taking the post of chief researcher of a clinical research project (including clinical2

studies and trials) or the post of principal investigator impacting on research plans
and/or implementation, provided that no investigator at each site for a multicenter
clinical research falls under these posts. Such posts should be assumed by researchers
not covered by the COI status below. Such researchers and/or principal investigators
must avoid such COI status even after assuming such posts:(1) Holding stocks of companies entrusting clinical research(2) Acquiring patent fees and rights of products and/or technology resulting fromclinical research(3) Assuming positions of officials, directors, or advisors (excluding those of unpaid
scientific advisors) of companies entrusting clinical research
Researchers falling under items (1) through (3) above may, subject to review by theCOI Committee of the JNS, assume the post of chief researcher or principal investigatorof clinical research if such researchers are vital to planning and implementing clinicalresearch and such clinical research is highly significant.
VI. Enforcement Procedures
1. COI Committee role
The JNS has established the COI Committee to respond to questions and requests
from members about potential COI status; to manage, investigate, and review COI; andto propose improvements and conduct educational activities.
2. JNS member roles
JNS members presenting medical research results are obligated to appropriately
disclose COI status associated with implementation of such research. Disclosure follows
the specific procedures in JNS Bylaws on COI in Medical Research. The COI
Committee reviews situations inconsistent with the Guidelines and reports review
results to the Board of Directors (BOD).
3. Roles of officials
JNS officials (i.e., directors, auditors, and delegates) are obliged to makeself-reports on assuming these posts, because these officials assume important roles andresponsibilities for all JNS-related projects. Self-reports are made following the specificprocedures provided by the JNS Bylaws on COI in Medical Research.
Regarding agreements with other companies or organizations made in theperformance of JNS projects, officials shall not agree to terms or conditions restricting
the fairness or neutrality of research activities and presentations related to such projects.
If serious COI status occurs in JNS project performance by officials or if the BOD
deems self-reports on COI to be improper, the BOD may submit such issues to the COI
Committee and give instructions on improvements based on the COI Committee report.
Persons chairing scientific annual meetings and scientific branch meetings maycheck that research results to be presented at academic meetings follow the Guidelines
and may suspend presentations of subjects inconsistent with the Guidelines. Theseactions are reviewed by the COI Committee as necessary and decided by chairs basedon reports by the COI Committee.

34. Roles of the Editorial Committee for official journal
The Editorial Committee may check that contributed articles follow theGuidelines and that articles are consistent with the Guidelines. The Editorial Committee
may suspend the appearance of such articles in the journal. For inconsistencies with theGuidelines in articles already appearing in the journal, the Editorial Committee may
make public announcements to this effect in publications in the name of theEditor-in-Chief. Such actions are be reviewed by the COI Committee as necessary anddecided by the Editor-in-Chief based on reports by the COI Committee.
5. Roles of other JNS committees
Other JNS committees check that the performance of JNS projects involving JNS
committees follows the Guidelines. In situations inconsistent with the Guidelines,
committees must promptly consider improvements for such situations. These actions arereviewed by the COI Committee as necessary and decided by JNS committee chairs
based on reports by the COI Committee.
VII. Actions Against Violators
1. Actions against violators
The COI Committee is authorized to review acts violating the Guidelines and toreport results of reviews to the BOD. For acts deemed to be in material noncompliance,
the BOD will act as specified in the Bylaws on COI in Medical Research based on thedegree of noncompliance.
2. Objections
Individuals subject to the above committee actions may object to the JNS. If theJNS receives an objection, the Provisional Review Board specified in the Bylaws on
COI in Medical Research will consider the objection.
3. Accountability
If the JNS deems that a material violation of compliance with the Guidelines has
occurred in medical research in JNS projects, the JNS pursues accountability by
publishing information to this effect after discussions in the COI Committee and theBOD.
VIII. Retention and Management of COI Self-Report Forms and Disclosed COI
Information
The COI Self-Report Form and disclosed COI information are retained and managed
strictly as private information by the JNS Office under the director as manager based onthe Bylaws on COI in Medical Research.
IX. Regulations for Guideline Management
The JNS establishes the Bylaws on COI in Medical Research required to actually
manage the Guidelines.

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X. Dates of Enforcement and Revision Procedures
The Guidelines may require specific modifications due to social effects and changes inlaws and regulations on industrial and academic collaboration. The COI Committee, asa rule, reviews the Guidelines biennially and may revise the Guidelines by a resolutionof the BOD.
Supplementary Provisions
1. The Guidelines go into force on and after January 1, 2012.

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