Conflict of Interest

Al Fiddhoh: Journal of Banking, Insurance, and Finance is committed to ensuring transparency, impartiality, and integrity throughout the editorial and publication process. All authors, editors, reviewers, and other parties involved in the publication process must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could influence, or reasonably appear to influence, their professional judgment, research findings, editorial decisions, or peer-review assessments.

A conflict of interest does not necessarily indicate misconduct. However, failure to disclose a relevant conflict may undermine the credibility of the research and the integrity of the publication process.

1. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest occurs when personal, financial, professional, institutional, or other relationships may compromise, or reasonably be perceived to compromise, an individual's objectivity and independence in conducting, reviewing, or publishing research.

Conflicts of interest may include, but are not limited to:

• Financial interests: Employment, consultancy, honoraria, research grants, funding, stock ownership, paid expert testimony, or other financial relationships that may be affected by the publication.

• Personal relationships: Family relationships, close friendships, personal disputes, or other relationships that may influence professional judgment.

• Professional and academic interests: Competition, collaboration, supervisory relationships, shared institutional affiliations, or professional rivalries that may affect impartiality.

• Institutional interests: Relationships or obligations involving universities, research institutions, companies, government agencies, or other organizations that may benefit from the publication.

• Intellectual and ideological interests: Strong commitments, advocacy positions, or competing scholarly interests that could reasonably influence the interpretation or assessment of research.

This list is not exhaustive. Any relationship or circumstance that could reasonably affect impartiality should be disclosed.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

All authors must disclose actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest related to their research and manuscript at the time of submission.

Authors must declare relevant financial and non-financial interests, including funding sources, employment relationships, consultancy arrangements, personal relationships, or institutional affiliations that could influence the research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or reporting of findings.

If no relevant conflict of interest exists, authors should include the following statement in their manuscript:

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to the research, authorship, or publication of this article.

If a conflict exists, authors must provide a clear and accurate statement describing its nature. Disclosure does not automatically disqualify a manuscript from consideration. The editorial team will assess whether the disclosed interests require additional transparency or other appropriate measures.

Authors must also disclose the role of research funders or sponsors, where applicable, in the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and decision to submit the work for publication.

3. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors must make editorial decisions independently and objectively, based on the manuscript's scholarly merit, relevance to the journal's scope, methodological rigor, originality, and compliance with publication ethics.

Editors must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest associated with a manuscript under their consideration. Such conflicts may arise from personal relationships with authors, recent or ongoing collaborations, institutional affiliations, financial interests, academic competition, or other circumstances that could compromise impartiality.

When a conflict of interest exists, the editor must recuse themselves from handling the manuscript and ensure that an independent editor is assigned to oversee the editorial and peer-review process.

Editors must not use unpublished information obtained through editorial work for personal, professional, or financial advantage.

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts fairly, confidentially, and objectively. Before accepting a review assignment, reviewers should consider whether any relationship or competing interest could affect their ability to provide an impartial assessment.

Reviewers must promptly inform the editorial team of any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest, including personal relationships with authors, recent collaboration, direct competition, financial interests, or institutional connections that could influence their judgment.

The editor will determine whether the reviewer may proceed with the assignment or should be replaced. Reviewers must not use unpublished information from manuscripts for personal research, professional advantage, or financial benefit.

5. Disclosure and Management Procedures

Conflict-of-interest disclosures must be submitted to the journal during manuscript submission or as soon as a relevant conflict becomes known. Authors, editors, and reviewers are responsible for updating their disclosures if circumstances change during the editorial process.

The editorial team will assess each disclosure and determine the appropriate response. Depending on the circumstances, the journal may request additional information, include a disclosure statement in the published article, assign an independent editor or reviewer, or take other reasonable measures to protect the integrity of the publication process.

Where necessary, the journal may request clarification from the authors or other parties involved before making an editorial decision.

6. Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

If an undisclosed conflict of interest is identified after submission or publication, the journal will assess the matter based on the available evidence and its potential effect on the integrity of the research or editorial process.

Appropriate actions may include requesting a disclosure statement, publishing a correction, reviewing the editorial process, issuing an expression of concern, or retracting an article when warranted by the circumstances.

Any action will be proportionate to the nature and significance of the undisclosed conflict and consistent with the journal's publication ethics policies.

7. Commitment to Transparency

Al Fiddhoh is committed to maintaining a transparent and trustworthy scholarly publishing environment. Disclosure of conflicts of interest enables editors, reviewers, readers, and other stakeholders to evaluate published research with an appropriate understanding of the circumstances surrounding its preparation and publication.

All parties involved in the publication process are expected to cooperate with the journal's disclosure requirements and uphold the principles of academic integrity, accountability, and responsible research conduct.

This policy is informed by internationally recognized publication ethics principles, including guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).