Conflict of Interest Policy

Taj Al-Ma'rifa Journal

Definition of Conflict of Interest

Conflict of Interest (COI) refers to any professional, financial, or personal relationship that influences—or could potentially influence—the impartiality and objectivity of authors, reviewers, or the Editorial Board in the preparation, review, or publication of research.

Examples of Conflicts of Interest

For Authors:

  • Receiving funding that might affect research outcomes or their presentation.

  • Employment or consultancy ties with entities having a direct interest in the research topic.

  • Personal or academic relationships that might affect the objectivity of presenting results.

For Reviewers:

  • Direct or prior relationships with authors (e.g., supervision, research collaboration, close collegiality).

  • Professional or personal competition with the authors.

  • A vested interest in the acceptance or rejection of the research.

For the Editorial Board:

  • Any financial, professional, or personal relationship that may influence the publication decision.

Authors' Obligations

  • Disclose all sources of funding, financial support, or in-kind support for the research.

  • Disclose any professional or personal relationship that could be perceived as a conflict of interest.

  • Include a formal statement regarding conflicts of interest at the end of the paper (or explicitly state that no conflict exists).

Reviewers' Obligations

  • Declare any potential conflict before accepting the review assignment.

  • Decline the review if a clear conflict exists that might affect the objectivity of the evaluation.

  • Adhere to confidentiality and refrain from exploiting information contained in the manuscripts.

Editorial Board Obligations

  • Avoid assigning research review to reviewers with known conflicts of interest.

  • Abstain from making publication decisions on research in which an Editorial Board member has an interest.

  • Refer decisions to another neutral member when a conflict arises.

Procedures for Handling Conflicts of Interest

In cases of proven intentional non-disclosure of conflicts of interest, the journal may take the following actions:

  • Rejection or retraction of the research.

  • Banning the author from publishing in the journal for a specific period.

  • Notifying the author's academic institution.

Conclusion

Taj Al-Ma'rifa Journal is committed to full transparency at all stages of scientific publication and considers the disclosure of conflicts of interest a fundamental duty to ensure integrity, objectivity, and impartiality in scientific research.