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Transparency, Objectivity, and Integrity in Scholarly Publishing
SOLAV Journal is committed to ensuring transparency, objectivity, and integrity in all aspects of scholarly publishing.
This policy defines how conflicts of interest are identified, disclosed, and managed to preserve trust in the editorial and peer review process, following COPE guidelines.
A conflict of interest exists when personal, professional, financial, or institutional relationships could influence, or be perceived to influence, judgment, actions, or decisions.
Financial Conflicts
- Employment or consultancy relationships
- Stock ownership or investments
- Patents, royalties, or licensing fees
- Grants, sponsorships, or honoraria
- Paid expert testimony
Personal & Professional
- Family or close personal relationships
- Academic competition or rivalry
- Recent collaboration (within 3 years)
- Supervisory or mentorship relationships
- Personal friendships or animosities
Institutional Conflicts
- Affiliation with benefiting organizations
- Institutional funding interests
- Leadership roles in related entities
- Board memberships or advisory positions
- Institutional policies affecting research
Declaration Required
All authors must disclose any actual or potential conflicts at submission. If no conflicts exist, authors must explicitly state: "The authors declare no conflict of interest." Disclosures are published alongside the article.
Transparency Principle
When in doubt, disclose. Transparency about potential conflicts allows readers to assess research objectively. Undisclosed conflicts undermine trust in research integrity. SOLAV Journal follows COPE guidelines for conflict management.
Types of Conflicts
Conflicts may be actual, potential, or perceived, and can arise from various relationships.
Financial
Monetary interests that could influence research outcomes or interpretation, including employment, investments, patents, grants, or paid testimony.
Personal
Relationships, friendships, family ties, or personal animosities that could affect objectivity in research or review processes.
Professional
Academic competition, recent collaborations, supervisory relationships, or professional affiliations affecting impartiality.
Institutional
Organizational affiliations, funding sources, or institutional policies that could influence research direction or conclusions.
Potential
Situations where a conflict could reasonably be perceived to exist, even if no actual bias is present. Perception matters.
Perceived
Situations where an objective observer might reasonably question impartiality, regardless of actual influence or intent.
Responsibilities & Procedures
Reviewers must declare any conflict of interest before accepting a review invitation and maintain confidentiality throughout the process.
Reviewers Should Decline Review If They:
- Have collaborated with any author within the last three years
- Work at the same institution or department as any author
- Have close personal relationships with any author (family, close friends)
- Have professional rivalries or competitive relationships
- Have financial interests in the research outcome
- Are involved in directly competing research
- Have previously reviewed the manuscript for another journal
Reviewer Obligations:
- Prompt Declaration: Declare conflicts when invited to review
- Confidentiality: Treat all manuscript materials as confidential
- Objectivity: Provide unbiased assessment regardless of relationships
- Transparency: Inform editors if conflicts arise during review
- Disclosure: Disclose even perceived conflicts that might affect judgment
Note: Reviewers who identify undisclosed conflicts in manuscripts should alert the editorial office immediately.
Editors must avoid handling manuscripts where conflicts of interest exist and ensure fair, impartial editorial processes.
Editors Must Recuse Themselves When:
- They are authors or co-authors of the manuscript
- They have close personal or professional relationships with any author
- They have financial interests in the research or its outcomes
- They are involved in directly competing research
- They have institutional conflicts (same institution as authors)
- They have previously been involved with the manuscript
- They have personal biases that could affect judgment
Editorial Actions:
- Self-Recusal: Proactively identify and declare conflicts
- Assignment: Ensure conflicted editors are not assigned to manuscripts
- Oversight: Monitor for undisclosed conflicts in submissions
- Management: Implement appropriate measures when conflicts are identified
- Documentation: Maintain records of conflict declarations and actions
When Editors Have Conflicts:
Conflicted editors should:
- Immediately inform the Editor-in-Chief or Managing Editor
- Withdraw from all involvement with the manuscript
- Not access manuscript files or correspondence
- Not influence editorial decisions
- Document the recusal in editorial records
When a conflict of interest is identified, SOLAV Journal implements appropriate measures to ensure impartiality and fairness.
Management Strategies:
- Additional Disclosure: Require more detailed conflict statements
- Editor Assignment: Assign independent, unconflicted editors
- Reviewer Selection: Ensure reviewer panel is conflict-free
- Transparency: Publish detailed conflict statements
- Process Adjustment: Modify review procedures as needed
- Expert Consultation: Seek independent expert advice
- Documentation: Record all conflict management actions
- Communication: Explain decisions to involved parties
Actions Based on Severity:
| Conflict Level | Typical Action |
|---|---|
| Minor/Disclosed | Publish disclosure; proceed with standard review |
| Moderate | Additional safeguards; independent oversight |
| Major/Undisclosed | Manuscript rejection; investigation; possible sanctions |
| Severe/Ethical breach | Rejection; retraction; institutional notification |
All decisions are made to ensure impartiality, fairness, and preservation of trust in the scholarly record.
Consequences of Non-Disclosure
Failure to disclose conflicts of interest undermines research integrity and may result in serious consequences, following COPE guidelines.
Immediate Actions
- Manuscript Rejection: Immediate rejection of submission
- Publication Correction: Publication of correction notices
- Article Retraction: Retraction of published articles
- Submission Restrictions: Temporary or permanent restrictions on future submissions
Long-term Consequences
- Institutional Notification: Notification to authors' institutions
- COPE Registration: Registration with COPE database
- Funding Agency Notification: Alert to funding agencies
- Public Disclosure: Public statement about the violation
Serious Ethical Violation
Failure to disclose conflicts of interest is considered a serious ethical violation that compromises research integrity. SOLAV Journal investigates all suspected cases thoroughly and implements appropriate sanctions following COPE procedures.
Related Policies & Resources
For complete details on ethical standards and procedures, consult our related policy pages:
Questions About Conflicts?
Contact our Ethics Committee for clarification on conflict disclosure requirements or to report concerns.
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