Introduction

Journal of Islamic Philosophy and Contemporary Thought (JIPCT) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, transparency, and objectivity in scholarly publishing. Trust in the research process depends on transparency regarding any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest—also known as competing interests.

This policy outlines the responsibilities of authors, peer reviewers, editors, and journal staff in disclosing and managing such interests to ensure that professional judgment and editorial impartiality remain uncompromised.

JIPCT adheres to the ethical principles and best practice guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) in formulating and implementing this policy.

Definition

A conflict of interest (COI) arises when an individual’s professional judgment concerning primary scholarly responsibilities—such as research design, data interpretation, peer review, or editorial decision-making—may be influenced by secondary interests. These interests can be financial or non-financial in nature.

• Financial interests include, but are not limited to:
  Employment, consultancies, stock or equity ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, travel grants, research funding, royalties, patent applications, or any other financial relationships with entities connected to the manuscript’s subject.

• Non-financial interests include:
  Personal relationships (e.g., family, close friends), academic or institutional affiliations, ideological, religious, or political commitments, intellectual rivalries, or strong personal convictions directly related to the research topic or individuals involved.

The existence of a conflict of interest is not inherently unethical, but failure to disclose it can undermine the credibility of the research and the journal’s reputation for integrity. This policy applies to all stakeholders associated with JIPCT.

Policy

1. Principle of Full Disclosure

All individuals participating in the publication process—authors, reviewers, editors, and staff—must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest related to their role in a manuscript’s creation, evaluation, or publication.
If no conflict exists, a formal statement of “no conflicts of interest to declare” is required.

2. Timing of Disclosure

• Authors:
  Must disclose all potential conflicts at the time of manuscript submission. If new conflicts arise during the review or revision process, authors must promptly update their disclosure.

• Peer Reviewers:
  Must declare any conflicts before accepting a review assignment. If a conflict becomes apparent after acceptance, the reviewer must notify the editor immediately and withdraw from the review if necessary.

• Editors and Journal Staff:
  Must disclose any conflicts that could influence their editorial duties or decision-making to the Editor-in-Chief or publisher. In such cases, they must recuse themselves from involvement with the manuscript in question.

3. Assessment and Management of Disclosed Conflicts

The editorial team will review all disclosed interests to determine their relevance and potential impact. The JIPCT Editorial Board may take one or more of the following actions:

• Publish the authors’ conflict-of-interest statements alongside the article.

• Reassign a reviewer or editor if impartiality is in doubt.

• Reject a manuscript if the conflict poses a significant risk to research integrity.

• Issue a correction or retraction if undisclosed conflicts are discovered post-publication.

4. Publication of Disclosure Statements

Each published article will include a clear statement of competing interests.
If no conflicts exist, the following declaration will be used:

“The authors declare that they have no known competing financial or non-financial interests that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.”

Funding sources must be disclosed, along with a description of the funder’s role in the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or publication decision. If the funder had no such role, this must be explicitly stated.

5. Post-Publication Discovery of Undisclosed Conflicts

If an undisclosed or misrepresented conflict of interest is identified after publication, JIPCT will initiate an investigation consistent with COPE guidelines. Depending on the severity and impact on the scientific record, the journal may issue:

• A Correction Notice,

• An Expression of Concern, or

• A Retraction of the article.

All actions will be transparently documented and communicated to relevant parties, including authors’ institutions or funding bodies where necessary.

Implementation Procedures

A. For Authors

What to Disclose:
Authors must declare all financial and non-financial interests that could be perceived as influencing their research, including:

• Research sponsorship or financial support;

• Employment, consultancies, or institutional ties;

• Intellectual property interests such as patents or royalties;

• Ideological, religious, or political positions closely related to the manuscript topic.

Funding Disclosure:
All funding sources must be acknowledged, specifying whether the funder played a role in the study design, data collection, interpretation, or publication decision.

How to Disclose:
Authors are required to complete a Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form at the time of submission—using either the ICMJE Uniform Disclosure Form or the JIPCT-specific form.
A brief disclosure statement (or declaration of no conflict) must appear within the manuscript before the references section.

Consequences of Non-Disclosure:
Failure to disclose relevant interests may result in manuscript rejection, publication delay, or, if discovered post-publication, a correction or retraction.

B. For Peer Reviewers

What to Disclose:
Reviewers must declare any potential bias arising from:

• Collaboration with authors within the past three years;

• Personal relationships or academic rivalries;

• Financial interests in competing research;

• Previous involvement with the manuscript or related studies.

How to Disclose:
Reviewers should report potential conflicts before accepting the review invitation.
If a conflict arises later, they must notify the editorial office immediately.

Action on Disclosure:
Editors will evaluate the nature of the conflict and, if necessary, assign the review to an alternate, impartial reviewer.

C. For Editors and Journal Staff (Including Editorial Board Members)

What to Disclose:
Editors and staff must declare any circumstances that could compromise—or appear to compromise—their editorial neutrality, including:

• Financial connections with relevant institutions;

• Personal or professional relationships with authors or reviewers;

• Overlapping research or publication interests.

Management and Recusal:
Editors or staff with a significant conflict must withdraw from handling the manuscript. In such cases, the Editor-in-Chief will assign the task to an impartial member of the editorial board.
Manuscripts authored by editorial board members will undergo independent double-blind peer review to ensure fairness.

Journal-Level Conflicts of Interest

JIPCT and its publisher uphold complete editorial independence.
Commercial sponsorships, institutional affiliations, or ideological influences will never dictate editorial decisions. Any journal-level or institutional conflicts will be disclosed and managed transparently.

Record Keeping

JIPCT maintains confidential records of all disclosed conflicts from authors, reviewers, editors, and staff. These records are securely stored and periodically reviewed to ensure ongoing compliance with COPE and WAME standards.

Review and Revision of Policy

This policy will be reviewed regularly and updated to remain consistent with evolving best practices in global scholarly publishing and ethical standards recognized by Scopus, WoS, COPE, and WAME.

References

• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. https://publicationethics.org

• World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). Recommendations on Publication Ethics Policies for Medical Journals. https://www.wame.org

• Elsevier. Ethics in Research and Publication: Conflicts of Interest Policy.

• ICMJE. Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. http://www.icmje.org