The International Journal of Innovative Technologies in Social Science (IJITSS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and transparency in academic publishing. To uphold these standards, all authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence, or appear to influence, the outcomes of research or the decision-making process in the publication of manuscripts.

1. Definition of Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest (COI) arises when an individual’s personal, financial, academic, or professional interests could compromise their objectivity in conducting, reviewing, or publishing research. Common sources of conflicts include:

• Financial Interests: Ownership of stocks, paid consultancies, grants, patents, or other financial benefits that may be gained through the research or publication.
• Personal or Professional Relationships: Close relationships with co-authors, competing research groups, or any professional rivalry that might affect objectivity.
• Academic Competition: Direct competition with other researchers or manuscripts in the same area of study.
• Institutional Affiliations: An individual’s relationship with institutions or organizations that might have a vested interest in the outcome of the research.

2. Author Responsibilities

Authors are required to:

• Disclose any financial, personal, or professional conflicts of interest that may affect the research, interpretation, or submission of the manuscript.
• Include a Conflict of Interest statement in their manuscript, detailing any relationships that could be perceived as influencing the results.
• Acknowledge any sources of funding for the research and specify the role of the funding organization in the study (if any).

If no conflicts exist, authors should clearly state: “The authors declare no conflicts of interest.”

3. Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the peer review process. Reviewers must:

• Disclose any conflicts of interest that could compromise their ability to provide an impartial evaluation of a manuscript.
• Recuse themselves from reviewing a manuscript if they feel that they cannot provide an unbiased review due to a conflict of interest.
• Ensure that they do not use unpublished information from the manuscript for their own research or personal benefit.

4. Editor Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for ensuring that all submitted manuscripts are handled without bias. Editors must:

• Declare any potential conflicts of interest that may affect their ability to make impartial editorial decisions.
• Recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where there is a conflict of interest. In such cases, another editor or member of the editorial board will be assigned to handle the submission.
• Ensure that decisions regarding the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts are based solely on their academic merit and relevance to the journal’s scope, without influence from personal or financial interests.

5. Managing Conflicts of Interest

IJITSS takes the following steps to manage and mitigate conflicts of interest:

• Disclosure: All conflicts of interest must be disclosed at the time of manuscript submission (for authors), during the review process (for reviewers), or when making editorial decisions (for editors).
• Transparency: Any disclosed conflicts will be made publicly available alongside the published article, ensuring transparency for readers and the research community.
• Institutional Review: In cases of severe conflicts, the journal may seek guidance from the author’s or reviewer’s affiliated institution to resolve the issue.

6. Consequences of Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

Failure to disclose conflicts of interest may result in:

• Rejection or withdrawal of the manuscript.
• Retraction of the published article, with a formal notice issued explaining the reason for retraction.
• Reporting of the issue to the author’s or reviewer’s affiliated institution or funding body.

IJITSS is committed to upholding the integrity of the research process and will take appropriate action if conflicts of interest are found to have influenced the outcomes of research or publication.

7. Appeals

If an author, reviewer, or editor disagrees with a decision regarding a conflict of interest, they may submit an appeal to the journal’s editorial board. The board will review the case and make a final decision based on the journal’s policies and ethical standards.