Conflicts of Interest/Competing Interests

1. Introduction

A conflict of interest, also referred to as a competing interest, exists when a financial, professional, personal, institutional, intellectual, or other interest could influence, or could reasonably be perceived as influencing, a person's judgment, conduct, interpretation, peer review, editorial decision, or publication-related activity.

The existence of a competing interest does not by itself establish bias, misconduct, or improper behavior. The purpose of disclosure is to allow editors, reviewers, authors, and readers to evaluate relevant relationships transparently and to allow the journal to manage potential conflicts appropriately.

The International Journal of Advanced Science Computing and Engineering (IJASCE) requires transparent disclosure and appropriate management of competing interests involving authors, reviewers, editors, editorial board members, journal staff, the journal, and its publisher or owner. This policy is based primarily on the COPE Core Practice on Conflicts of Interest / Competing Interests, relevant COPE guidance and flowcharts, and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing. Relevant ICMJE recommendations may also be used as supplementary guidance for disclosure practices.

2. Scope

This policy applies throughout submission, peer review, editorial decision-making, publication, and post-publication assessment. It applies to:

• authors and co-authors;

• peer reviewers and individuals assisting with an authorized review;

• editors and Editors-in-Chief;

• editorial board members;

• journal staff and individuals involved in production or publication decisions;

• the journal's publisher, owner, sponsoring organizations, and governance bodies where relevant;

• funders and other organizations supporting the reported research; and

• other parties whose interests could reasonably affect the publication process or interpretation of the work.

3. Types of Competing Interests

Competing interests may be financial or non-financial and may arise through relationships with individuals, institutions, companies, funders, professional organizations, advocacy groups, or other entities.

3.1 Financial Interests

Financial competing interests may include, but are not limited to:

• employment or paid appointments;

• consultancy or advisory roles;

• honoraria or speaking fees;

• research grants or other financial support;

• stock ownership, stock options, or other financial interests;

• patents, patent applications, licenses, or royalties;

• commercial sponsorship;

• paid expert testimony; and

• other financial relationships that could reasonably be perceived as relevant to the work.

3.2 Non-Financial Interests

Non-financial competing interests may include, but are not limited to:

• close personal or family relationships;

• recent or ongoing professional relationships;

• direct academic competition or substantial professional rivalry;

• supervisory, mentoring, or dependent professional relationships;

• institutional affiliations that create a material competing interest;

• strong intellectual commitments directly relevant to the manuscript;

• leadership roles in organizations with an interest in the subject matter;

• political, ideological, advocacy, or professional interests that could reasonably affect impartial judgment; and

• other circumstances that a reasonable reader, reviewer, or editor might consider relevant when evaluating impartiality.

Not every professional disagreement, intellectual position, shared research field, or institutional connection constitutes a disqualifying conflict. The significance of a competing interest depends on its nature, proximity, relevance, and potential influence on the publication process.

4. Authors' Responsibilities

Authors must disclose all financial and non-financial relationships, activities, interests, and support that could reasonably be considered relevant to the submitted work.

Authors must provide a competing interests declaration at submission and must update the declaration if relevant circumstances change during peer review, revision, acceptance, or before publication.

The published article should include a clear competing interests statement. Where no relevant competing interests exist, the article should state this explicitly, for example:

The authors declare no competing interests.

Disclosure does not automatically prevent publication. The editor will determine whether the disclosed interest requires additional transparency, independent handling, modification of the editorial process, or another appropriate management measure.

4.1 Funding and the Role of the Funder

Authors must disclose all sources of financial and material support for the research and publication.

Where applicable, authors must also describe the role of the funder or sponsor in:

• study conception or design;

• data collection;

• data analysis or interpretation;

• preparation or revision of the manuscript;

• the decision to submit for publication; or

• control over data or publication decisions.

If the funder or sponsor had no role in these activities, authors should state this when relevant.

4.2 Non-Financial and In-Kind Support

Authors should disclose relevant in-kind support, such as provision of software, equipment, datasets, technical assistance, administrative assistance, professional writing support, or other material support where such information is relevant to understanding the provenance or independence of the work.

Such support does not necessarily constitute a competing interest, but disclosure may be necessary for transparency.

5. Reviewers' Responsibilities

Reviewers must disclose any competing interest that could affect, or reasonably appear to affect, their ability to provide an independent and impartial assessment.

Potential reviewer conflicts may include:

• close personal or professional relationships with an author;

• recent collaboration with an author;

• direct supervisory or mentoring relationships;

• significant academic or commercial competition;

• financial interests related to the subject of the manuscript;

• institutional relationships that could materially affect impartiality; or

• strong personal, professional, or intellectual interests that prevent objective assessment.

A reviewer who believes that a competing interest prevents impartial review must decline the invitation. If a potential conflict becomes apparent after accepting the review or after beginning the assessment, the reviewer must promptly inform the editor and seek guidance.

Disclosure of a potential conflict does not automatically disqualify a reviewer. The editor will determine whether the relationship can be appropriately managed or whether another reviewer should be appointed.

Reviewers should also notify the editor if they identify a potentially relevant undisclosed competing interest involving an author. Such concerns must be communicated confidentially to the journal and not directly to the authors.

6. Editors, Editorial Board Members, and Journal Staff

Editors, editorial board members, and journal staff must disclose interests that could affect, or reasonably appear to affect, their impartiality in handling a manuscript or other editorial matter.

An editor must not handle or make a decision on a manuscript when a relevant competing interest could compromise independent editorial judgment. The manuscript must instead be assigned to another appropriately qualified and independent editor.

Examples include manuscripts submitted by:

• the editor or a close collaborator;

• a close family member or personal associate;

• a recent student, supervisor, mentor, or close professional collaborator;

• an individual with whom the editor has a significant financial or professional conflict; or

• another person whose relationship with the editor could reasonably raise concerns about impartiality.

6.1 Submissions by Editors or Editorial Board Members

IJASCE editors and editorial board members are not automatically prohibited from submitting scholarly work to the journal. However, their submissions must be handled independently.

An editor or board member who is an author must have no involvement in reviewer selection, access to confidential review information beyond that provided to other authors, editorial assessment, or the final publication decision for their own manuscript.

The journal should ensure that such submissions undergo the same applicable peer review and editorial standards as other manuscripts.

6.2 Editors Publishing in IJASCE

Editors who publish articles in IJASCE must disclose their editorial position and other relevant competing interests in the published article. The article should indicate, where appropriate, that editorial handling and decision-making were conducted independently of the author-editor.

7. Journal, Publisher, and Organizational Competing Interests

Competing interests may also exist at the organizational level. IJASCE, its publisher or owner, sponsoring organizations, and governance bodies must not allow financial, institutional, commercial, or other interests to improperly influence editorial decisions.

Revenue sources, institutional support, sponsorship, partnerships, advertising arrangements, or other business relationships must remain separate from decisions concerning whether an individual manuscript is accepted, revised, or rejected.

Where the journal or publisher has an organizational interest directly relevant to published content, that relationship should be disclosed when necessary for transparency.

8. Disclosure and Publication of Competing Interests

Competing interest declarations should be collected as a distinct component of the submission and editorial process rather than being inferred from affiliations or acknowledgments.

Authors must provide the required declaration through the journal's submission system and include the applicable statement in the manuscript.

Relevant author competing interests and funding information will be published with the article. Where no competing interests exist, an explicit statement should be published.

IJASCE may use an appropriate standardized disclosure format, including relevant elements of the ICMJE disclosure framework, where useful. Use of such a form supplements rather than replaces the requirements of this IJASCE policy.

9. Management of Disclosed Competing Interests

Disclosure is only one component of managing competing interests. When a relevant interest is identified, the responsible editor will determine whether additional action is necessary.

Possible management measures include:

• publishing an appropriate disclosure statement;

• providing relevant information to reviewers where appropriate;

• assigning the manuscript to an independent editor;

• appointing a different reviewer;

• obtaining additional independent review;

• requesting clarification or additional disclosure;

• evaluating whether funding or another relationship may have introduced material bias; or

• declining editorial participation by a conflicted individual.

A disclosed competing interest does not, by itself, constitute grounds for rejecting a manuscript.

10. Undisclosed Competing Interests Before Publication

When IJASCE becomes aware of a potentially relevant undisclosed competing interest before publication, the journal will conduct an editorial assessment and normally request clarification from the person concerned.

Depending on the circumstances, the journal may:

• request an updated disclosure;

• seek clarification concerning the relationship or interest;

• replace a reviewer or handling editor;

• obtain additional independent assessment;

• reconsider an editorial recommendation affected by an unmanaged conflict;

• suspend editorial consideration while a serious concern is assessed; or

• take another proportionate action necessary to protect the integrity of the editorial process.

If the nondisclosure raises broader concerns about research or publication integrity, the matter may also be handled under the IJASCE Allegations of Misconduct Policy.

11. Undisclosed Competing Interests After Publication

Discovery of an undisclosed competing interest after publication does not automatically require retraction.

IJASCE will assess:

• the nature and significance of the undisclosed interest;

• whether the interest could reasonably have affected the research, interpretation, peer review, or editorial decision;

• whether the published disclosure requires correction;

• whether additional evidence or institutional assessment is necessary; and

• whether the reliability of the article's findings or conclusions has been materially compromised.

When a relevant competing interest was omitted but the article remains reliable, IJASCE will normally correct the scholarly record by issuing an appropriate correction or disclosure notice that is permanently linked to the Version of Record.

An expression of concern may be appropriate when substantial unresolved questions remain and further assessment or institutional information is required.

A retraction may be appropriate when a major undisclosed competing interest has materially compromised the interpretation, recommendations, findings, or reliability of the article to the extent that the publication can no longer be relied upon.

Retraction is intended to correct the literature and protect the scholarly record rather than to punish authors.

12. Institutional Communication and Other Actions

IJASCE does not automatically notify an institution merely because a competing interest was disclosed late or omitted.

The journal may contact an institution, employer, funder, or other competent body when a serious or unresolved concern requires evidence or investigation beyond the journal's authority, or when the nondisclosure forms part of a broader research or publication integrity concern.

IJASCE does not use automatic permanent restrictions on future submissions as a standard response to competing interest concerns. Restrictions on editorial or reviewing participation may be applied when necessary to protect the independence and integrity of journal processes, but such measures should be proportionate to the circumstances.

13. Responsibilities

Authors must disclose relevant financial and non-financial competing interests, funding sources, and the role of funders and must update their declarations when circumstances change.

Reviewers must disclose relevant interests before accepting an assignment and must notify the editor if a conflict becomes apparent during review.

Editors must disclose relevant competing interests, recuse themselves when necessary, manage disclosed interests consistently, and ensure that editorial decisions remain independent.

Editorial board members and journal staff must disclose interests relevant to their journal responsibilities and must not use confidential information obtained through journal activities for personal or professional advantage.

The journal and publisher are responsible for maintaining editorial independence and ensuring that ownership, institutional support, revenue, sponsorship, partnerships, or other organizational interests do not improperly determine editorial outcomes.

14. Related Policies and References

• COPE Core Practice — Conflicts of Interest / Competing Interests

• COPE Discussion Document on Handling Competing Interests

• COPE flowcharts concerning undisclosed competing interests in submitted and published manuscripts

• COPE Retraction Guidelines

• COPE Guidelines on Cooperation Between Research Institutions and Journals on Research Integrity and Publication Misconduct Cases

• Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, developed by COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, and WAME

• ICMJE Recommendations concerning disclosure of relationships, activities, and conflicts of interest

• IJASCE Allegations of Misconduct Policy

• IJASCE Authorship and Contributorship Policy

• IJASCE Peer Review Process

• IJASCE Post-Publication Discussion and Corrections Policy

15. Review and Updates

This policy was reviewed in September 2026. IJASCE will review and update the policy periodically in response to changes in COPE guidance, recognized disclosure standards, journal procedures, or developments in scholarly publishing practice.