Conflict Of Interest Policy

A conflict of interest exists when a financial, personal, professional, academic, political, or institutional relationship could influence, or reasonably appear to influence, a person’s judgment.

Having a conflict does not automatically mean that misconduct has occurred. However, all relevant conflicts must be disclosed and properly managed.

This policy applies to authors, editors, reviewers, editorial board members, and other persons involved in publication.

Conflicts Involving Authors

Authors must disclose interests involving:

  • Research funding
  • Employment
  • Consultancy
  • Paid advisory work
  • Ownership of shares or financial interests
  • Patents or intellectual property
  • Personal relationships
  • Institutional relationships
  • Academic competition
  • Political or ideological commitments directly relevant to the research
  • Legal proceedings related to the subject
  • Any other interest that could affect interpretation of the work

Authors should include a conflict of interest statement in every manuscript.

If no conflict exists, authors should state:

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

If a conflict exists, authors should explain:

  • Nature of the relationship
  • Person or organization involved
  • Relevance to the research
  • Any role played by the interested party

Funding and Sponsor Involvement

Authors must disclose all financial and material support.

They should explain whether the funder or sponsor was involved in:

  • Study design
  • Data collection
  • Data analysis
  • Interpretation of results
  • Manuscript preparation
  • Decision to submit for publication

If the funder had no role, this should be clearly stated.

Conflicts Involving Reviewers

Reviewers must decline a manuscript or inform the editor if they have:

  • A close personal relationship with an author
  • A recent professional collaboration with an author
  • A direct institutional connection
  • A financial interest in the research outcome
  • Academic competition that could affect objectivity
  • Prior involvement with the manuscript
  • Strong personal views that prevent an impartial assessment

The editor will decide whether the reviewer should be replaced.

Conflicts Involving Editors

An editor must not handle a manuscript if the editor:

  • Is an author or contributor
  • Works closely with an author
  • Has a personal or financial relationship with an author
  • Has a direct interest in the findings
  • Has been involved in the research
  • Cannot make an independent decision

The manuscript will be assigned to another qualified editor. The conflicted editor will not participate in reviewer selection, editorial discussion, or the final decision.

Editorial Board Submissions

Editorial board members may submit manuscripts to TJCSS, but they will receive no preferential treatment.

Their submissions will be managed independently. The submitting board member will not have access to confidential review information or participate in the decision.

Undisclosed Conflicts

If an undisclosed conflict is identified before publication, the journal may:

  • Request clarification
  • Ask for a revised disclosure
  • Replace a reviewer or editor
  • Suspend the review
  • Reject the manuscript where the conflict affected integrity

If an undisclosed conflict is identified after publication, the journal may:

  • Add or correct the disclosure statement
  • Publish a correction
  • Publish an expression of concern
  • Retract the article if the conflict seriously affected the reliability or integrity of the work

Confidentiality of Disclosures

Conflict disclosures will be handled confidentially during peer review. Relevant information may be published with the article where transparency is necessary.

Personal information unrelated to the manuscript will not be disclosed unnecessarily.

Editorial Decisions

Funding, author fees, personal relationships, institutional status, and disclosed conflicts must not determine whether a manuscript is accepted or rejected.

Editorial decisions must remain based on:

  • Academic quality
  • Originality
  • Methodological soundness
  • Ethical compliance
  • Relevance to the journal’s scope
  • Contribution to the social sciences