Conflict of Interest

Policy Statement

The International Journal of Social Communication (IJSC) is committed to ensuring that all editorial decisions, peer review, research reporting, and publication activities are conducted with integrity, transparency, fairness, and complete editorial independence.

Authors, reviewers, editors, editorial board members, guest editors, and all individuals involved in the editorial and publication process are required to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest that could influence—or reasonably be perceived to influence—their professional judgment, objectivity, peer-review reports, editorial decisions, or interpretation of research findings.

Definition of a Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when personal, professional, academic, institutional, financial, political, religious, or intellectual relationships may compromise, or reasonably appear to compromise, the impartiality, integrity, or objectivity of an individual involved in the research, peer-review, or publication process.

The existence of a conflict of interest does not automatically prevent publication or participation in the editorial process. However, all relevant conflicts must be disclosed so that the journal can evaluate and manage them appropriately and transparently.

Financial Conflicts of Interest

Financial conflicts of interest may include, but are not limited to:

  • Employment, consultancy, advisory positions, or other paid professional services.
  • Research grants, institutional funding, or project sponsorship.
  • Honoraria, travel support, gifts, reimbursements, or other financial benefits.
  • Ownership of shares, stocks, equity interests, or other financial investments.
  • Patents, licenses, royalties, intellectual property rights, or commercial interests.
  • Financial relationships with organizations that may benefit from or be affected by the published research.

Non-Financial Conflicts of Interest

Non-financial conflicts of interest may include, but are not limited to:

  • Personal, family, or close professional relationships.
  • Academic rivalry or professional competition.
  • Recent research collaboration, joint publications, or supervisory relationships.
  • Institutional, departmental, or laboratory affiliations.
  • Strong intellectual, ideological, political, or religious commitments directly related to the subject of the manuscript.
  • Membership in organizations, committees, advocacy groups, or professional associations connected with the research topic.
  • Legal disputes or any other circumstances that could reasonably affect impartial judgment.

Authors' Responsibilities

Authors must disclose all relevant financial and non-financial conflicts of interest at the time of manuscript submission. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that conflict of interest declarations submitted on behalf of all co-authors are complete, accurate, and up to date.

Authors must also disclose all sources of financial and institutional support and clearly state the role, if any, of the funding body or sponsor in:

  • Study conception and design.
  • Data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
  • Preparation, revision, or approval of the manuscript.
  • The decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

If no conflicts of interest exist, authors must include the following statement:

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

If conflicts of interest exist, authors must disclose them clearly and in sufficient detail to enable editors and readers to evaluate their potential influence on the reported research.