“Asian Journal of Criminal Justice and Forensic Studies” is committed to ensuring transparency, independence and impartiality throughout the editorial and publication process.
Authors, reviewers and editors must disclose any actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, the research, peer review or editorial decision-making process.
Conflict of interest of authors
Authors must disclose all relevant financial and non-financial interests when submitting a manuscript.
Financial conflict of interest may include, but is not limited to:
- employment or consultancy relationships;
- grants or other financial support;
- honoraria or paid advisory roles;
- ownership of shares or other financial interests;
- patents or patent applications relevant to the research.
Non-financial conflict may include personal, professional, academic or other relationships or interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or its interpretation.
A Conflict of Interest statement must be included in every published article.
Where no conflict exists, the following statement should be used:
“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
Where a conflict exists, its nature must be described clearly and sufficiently to allow readers to assess its relevance to the published work.
Conflict of interest of reviewers
Reviewers must disclose any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest before accepting a review assignment.
Such conflicts may arise from:
- financial, professional or personal relationships with the authors or organisations associated with the research;
- recent or ongoing research collaboration with the authors;
- direct academic or professional competition;
- personal relationships, disputes or other circumstances that could affect impartiality;
- a financial or intellectual interest in the findings of the manuscript.
A reviewer who believes that a conflict may prevent an independent and objective assessment should decline the invitation to review.
If a potential conflict becomes apparent after the review has begun, the reviewer must promptly inform the Editorial Office, which will determine whether the reviewer should continue or withdraw from the process.
Conflict of interest of editors
Editors and members of the Editorial Board must disclose any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest relating to manuscripts they handle.
An editor must not participate in the assessment, peer review or editorial decision on a manuscript where their impartiality could reasonably be questioned, including where:
- they are an author or co-author of the manuscript;
- they have a close personal, professional, academic or financial relationship with an author;
- they are employed by the same institution as an author where this may create a conflict;
- they have recently collaborated with an author;
- they have a direct financial, professional or intellectual interest in the subject or outcome of the research.
In such cases, responsibility for the manuscript must be transferred to another suitably qualified editor who has no relevant conflict of interest.
Manuscripts submitted by the Editor-in-Chief, members of the Editorial Board or other persons directly associated with the journal must undergo the same peer review standards as other submissions and must be handled independently by an editor with no relevant conflict of interest.
Disclosure and management of conflict
Disclosure of a conflict of interest does not necessarily prevent publication. The purpose of disclosure is to enable the Editorial Board and readers to assess whether relevant interests may have influenced the research or publication process.
The journal will manage declared conflicts in a manner appropriate to their nature and significance. This may include assigning another editor or reviewer, requesting additional disclosure, or taking other measures necessary to preserve the independence and integrity of the editorial process.
A Conflict of Interest statement, including a declaration that no conflicts exist is published with each article.
