Conflict of Interest

Maintaining the highest standards of integrity and transparency is essential to the credibility and trustworthiness of the International Journal for Public Policy, Law and Development (IJPLD). To ensure that research is conducted and evaluated without bias, IJPLD requires all authors, reviewers, and editors to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the research, its interpretation, or the review process.

Definition of Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of interest are defined as situations where personal, financial, the issue of Plagiarism and Copyright or professional affiliations could potentially influence, or appear to influence, the impartiality of the research or the review process. Such conflicts may include, but are not limited to:

• Financial Interests: Includes funding, grants, or financial support received from organizations or entities that could benefit from the research outcomes.

• Personal Relationships: Relationships that could be perceived as influencing the objectivity of the research or review, such as personal or familial connections with individuals involved in the study.

• Professional Affiliations: Involvement in professional organizations or partnerships that may have a vested interest in the research results.

Any interested person/s or institution/s is/are free to prefer or to communicate the legitimate conflict of interest.

Disclosure Requirements

• For Authors: Authors are required to include a conflict-of-interest statement in their manuscript submission. This statement should disclose any financial, personal, or professional affiliations that could be perceived as influencing the research. The disclosure should be clear, concise, and specific to ensure that potential conflicts are adequately communicated to readers.

• For Reviewers: Reviewers must declare any potential conflicts of interest before accepting a manuscript for review. If a conflict exists, reviewers are obligated to recuse themselves from evaluating the manuscript to avoid any influence on the review process. The journal reserves the right to appoint alternative reviewers if necessary.

• For Editors: Editors are required to disclose any conflicts of interest related to the manuscripts they handle. If an editor has a potential conflict, they must recuse themselves from making decisions on the manuscript to ensure impartiality in the editorial process. Editors should also manage any conflicts transparently and avoid any appearance of bias.

Ensuring Transparency and Integrity

Full disclosure of conflicts of interest is crucial for maintaining the transparency and integrity of the research published in IJPLD. By openly declaring potential conflicts, authors, reviewers, and editors contribute to an environment of trust and reliability in the academic community. This practice helps to ensure that research findings are evaluated based solely on their scientific merit and contributes to the overall quality of the journal.

IJPLD’s conflict-of-interest policy underscores our commitment to unbiased and transparent research publication. By adhering to these disclosure requirements, all parties involved in the editorial process help uphold the journal's standards and promote the credibility of the research disseminated through our platform.