Conflict of Interest Policy

Conflict of Interest Policy

 

The Journal of Islamic Studies, Prince of Songkla University (JOIS), is committed to maintaining transparency, academic independence, and integrity in all aspects of scholarly publishing. Conflicts of interest, whether actual, potential, or perceived, may compromise objectivity in research reporting, peer review, and editorial decision-making.

This policy establishes principles and procedures for the disclosure and management of conflicts of interest to safeguard the credibility and fairness of the publication process.

1 Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when personal, financial, professional, or institutional relationships may influence, or appear to influence, the objectivity, judgment, or integrity of scholarly work.

Conflicts may arise even when no actual misconduct occurs, but where circumstances could reasonably be perceived as introducing bias.

2 Types of Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of interest may take multiple forms, including but not limited to the following:

2.1 Financial Conflicts: Research funding, consultancy fees, honoraria, advisory roles, equity ownership, patent interests, or other financial benefits.
2.2 Academic and Professional Conflicts: Direct academic competition, strong ideological disagreements, supervisory or subordinate relationships, or collaborative research partnerships.
2.3 Personal Relationships: Family relationships, close social ties, or prior personal disputes.
2.4 Institutional Conflicts: Affiliation with the same institution, joint institutional projects, or organizational policy alignment.

3 Author Disclosure Responsibilities

Authors are required to disclose all conflicts of interest relevant to their submitted work. Disclosures must include:

  • Sources of research funding
  • Institutional sponsorship
  • Financial relationships
  • Professional affiliations connected to the study

Disclosure must occur at the time of manuscript submission and, where appropriate, be stated within the published article.

Failure to disclose material conflicts may result in manuscript rejection, publication correction, or retraction.

4 Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest upon invitation to review. Situations requiring disclosure or recusal include:

  • Personal knowledge of the authors
  • Collaborative relationships
  • Institutional affiliation overlap
  • Financial or professional interests in the research outcomes

Reviewers who cannot provide an impartial assessment must decline the review assignment.

5 Editorial Responsibilities

Editors must avoid handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest. Examples include:

  • Manuscripts authored by the editor
  • Submissions from the editor’s institution
  • Work involving close collaborators
  • Research aligned with the editor’s financial interests

In such cases, editorial responsibility must be reassigned to an independent editor to preserve impartiality.

6 Management of Disclosed Conflicts

Measures include reassignment of reviewers, reallocation of editorial oversight, additional independent review, and disclosure statements within the publication.

7 Undisclosed Conflicts Identified Post-Publication

The journal may initiate an investigation. Actions include disclosure corrections, editorial expressions of concern, article correction, or retraction.

11 Funding Disclosure

Authors are required to disclose all sources of financial support. Funding statements must include:

  • Name of the funding organization
  • Grant or project numbers where applicable
  • The role of the funder in the research process

If the funding body had no involvement, this must be explicitly stated.

A Governance Principles

Editorial Independence

The Journal of Islamic Studies (JOIS) maintains full editorial independence. Editorial decisions are made solely on scholarly merit, academic quality, and relevance. The Editor-in-Chief holds full authority, free from commercial, institutional, or political influence.

B Stakeholder Responsibilities

Ethical Guidelines for Authors

Manuscripts must be original works submitted as an academic trust (amanah). Findings must be accurate without fabrication. Proper citation (APA 7th) and disclosure of financial support/conflicts are mandatory.

C Research Ethics Compliance

Research must respect dignity and safety. Studies involving humans or animals must receive prior ethical approval, upholding international bioethical standards and Islamic ethical principles.

D Publication Integrity and Post-Publication Governance

Article Retraction Policy

JOIS follows COPE and TCI guidelines. Grounds for retraction include plagiarism, data fabrication, or serious ethical violations. Retracted articles remain accessible but are watermarked as RETRACTED.