Conflict of Interest Policy
Table of content
Definition of Conflict of Interest
Responsibilities of Authors
Responsibilities of Reviewers
Responsibilities of Editors
Editorial Independence
Disclosure and Transparency
Handling Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest
Commitment to Ethical Publishing
The International Journal of Halal Industry (IJHI) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and objectivity in scholarly publishing. To ensure the credibility of published research and the fairness of the editorial process, all participants involved in the publication process—including authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members—are required to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest.
Definition of Conflict of Interest
EA conflict of interest exists when professional judgment concerning a primary interest, such as the validity of research, editorial decisions, or peer-review evaluations, may be influenced by a secondary interest, including financial, personal, professional, institutional, political, religious, or other relationships.
Conflicts of interest may include, but are not limited to:
- Employment, consultancy, or advisory relationships;
- Research grants, funding, or sponsorship;
- Ownership of stocks, shares, patents, or intellectual property rights;
- Personal, family, or close professional relationships;
- Academic competition or rivalry;
- Institutional affiliations that may influence objectivity;
- Any other circumstances that could affect, or reasonably be perceived to affect, impartial judgment.
Responsibilities of Authors
Authors must disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence the design, conduct, interpretation, or reporting of their research.
All sources of funding, sponsorship, or financial support must be clearly acknowledged in the manuscript. If no conflicts of interest exist, authors should include the following statement:
"The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to this research."
Failure to disclose relevant conflicts of interest may result in rejection of the manuscript, publication of a correction, or retraction of the article, depending on the nature and severity of the omission.
Responsibilities of Reviewers
Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest that could affect their ability to provide an objective and unbiased evaluation of a manuscript.
Reviewers should decline an invitation to review if they:
- Have a personal or professional relationship with any of the authors;
- Work at the same institution as an author;
- Have collaborated with an author within the recent past;
- Have a direct financial or competitive interest related to the manuscript;
- Believe that any circumstance may compromise their impartiality.
Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential documents and may not use information obtained during the review process for personal advantage.
Responsibilities of Editors
Editors and members of the Editorial Board must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts when a conflict of interest exists.
Editors shall not make decisions on manuscripts in which they:
- Are listed as authors or co-authors;
- Have personal, professional, or financial relationships with the authors;
- Have competing academic or institutional interests;
- May otherwise be unable to provide an impartial editorial assessment;
In such cases, editorial responsibility will be assigned to another qualified editor without a conflict of interest.
Editorial Independence
Editorial decisions are based solely on the scholarly merit, originality, quality, relevance, and contribution of the manuscript to the field of halal industry. Editorial decisions will not be influenced by commercial interests, sponsors, funding organizations, institutional affiliations, or personal relationships.
Disclosure and Transparency
Conflict of interest disclosures provided by authors may be published within the article when relevant to ensure transparency and maintain trust in the scholarly record.
The journal reserves the right to request additional information regarding disclosed conflicts of interest whenever necessary.
Handling Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest
If an undisclosed conflict of interest is identified before or after publication, IJHI will investigate the matter in accordance with the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Depending on the circumstances, the journal may take appropriate actions, including:
- Requesting clarification from the parties involved;
- Publishing a correction or disclosure statement;
- Reassessing editorial decisions;
- Rejecting the manuscript; or
- Retracting the published article.
Commitment to Ethical Publishing
IJHI is committed to promoting transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct throughout the publication process. All participants are expected to disclose relevant conflicts of interest and to uphold the principles of fairness, integrity, and objectivity in scholarly communication.