Conflict of Interest Policy

  1. Introduction

Musyarakah: Journal of Sharia Economics (MJSE) is committed to upholding academic integrity, objectivity, transparency, and accountability throughout the scholarly publishing process. The disclosure and proper management of potential conflicts of interest are essential to maintaining the credibility of published research and public trust in academic publications.

This policy establishes the responsibilities of authors, peer reviewers, editors, editorial board members, and journal staff in identifying, disclosing, and managing actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest. The policy is designed to safeguard editorial independence and ensure that decisions concerning manuscript evaluation and publication are based on scholarly merit, methodological rigor, originality, relevance to the journal's focus and scope, and contribution to the development of knowledge.

In developing and implementing this policy, MJSE follows established principles of publication ethics, including the guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

  1. Definition and Scope of Conflicts of Interest

A Conflict of Interest (COI), also referred to as a competing interest, occurs when a secondary interest may improperly influence, or reasonably appear to influence, an individual's professional judgment concerning a primary responsibility, such as the integrity of research, the objectivity of peer review, or the fairness of editorial decisions.

Conflicts of interest may arise in research addressing Islamic economics and finance, Islamic banking, Islamic accounting, Islamic microfinance, zakat, waqf, Islamic philanthropy, and other subjects within the journal's scope.

Potential conflicts of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

2.1. Financial Interests

Financial interests may include employment, consultancy arrangements, research grants, honoraria, ownership of shares, patents, royalties, paid advisory positions, or other financial relationships with institutions, companies, Islamic financial institutions, zakat and waqf organizations, or other parties that may benefit from the research findings.

2.2. Non-Financial Interests

Non-financial interests may include family or personal relationships, academic collaborations, supervisory relationships, institutional affiliations, professional rivalry, intellectual commitments, or other circumstances that could affect, or be perceived to affect, an individual's impartiality.

Such interests may also arise when researchers have affiliations with organizations or institutions directly involved in the subject of their research, including Islamic banks, Islamic rural banks (BPRS), Islamic microfinance institutions, zakat management organizations (LAZ), zakat collection agencies (BAZNAS), waqf institutions, Islamic philanthropic organizations, and Islamic higher education institutions.

2.3. Research-Related Interests

Research-related interests include involvement in competing research projects, ownership of relevant intellectual property, access to confidential research findings, or other academic interests that could influence the interpretation, presentation, or evaluation of scholarly work.

The existence of a conflict of interest does not automatically indicate misconduct or invalidate research. However, failure to disclose relevant interests may undermine the credibility of the research and the integrity of the publication process.

This policy applies to all parties involved in the editorial and publication activities of MJSE.

  1. General Policy Principles

MJSE applies the following principles in managing conflicts of interest:

  1. Full disclosure: All individuals involved in the publication process must disclose actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest relevant to their responsibilities.
  2. Transparency: Relevant disclosures must be communicated to the appropriate editorial authority and, where applicable, included in the published article.
  3. Editorial independence: Publication decisions must be based on scholarly quality, originality, methodological soundness, relevance, and academic contribution, without undue influence from financial, institutional, personal, or commercial interests.
  4. Impartial peer review: Manuscripts must be evaluated objectively and confidentially by reviewers who can provide an independent scholarly assessment.
  5. Accountability: Disclosed conflicts must be assessed and managed appropriately, including through reassignment of reviewers or editors when necessary.
  6. Consistency: The same standards of disclosure and ethical conduct apply to all authors, reviewers, editors, editorial board members, and journal staff.
  1. Conflict of Interest Disclosure and Management

4.1. Authors

Authors must disclose all financial and non-financial interests that could reasonably be considered relevant to the research submitted to MJSE.

Disclosure must be provided at the time of manuscript submission and updated if relevant circumstances change during the review or publication process.

Authors are expected to disclose:

  • Financial support, grants, sponsorships, or other resources received for conducting the research.
  • Employment, consultancy, or other financial relationships with organizations that may be affected by the research findings.
  • Institutional affiliations or professional relationships with the organizations, institutions, or individuals examined in the manuscript.
  • Personal, academic, or professional relationships that could influence the conduct, analysis, or interpretation of the research.
  • Relevant intellectual property, patents, or commercial interests associated with the research.
  • Any other interest that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or its presentation.

Authors must also disclose the sources of research funding and explain the role of the funding organization, if any, in the research design, data collection, data analysis, interpretation of findings, manuscript preparation, and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

If the funding organization had no involvement in these activities, this must be explicitly stated.

A conflict of interest declaration must be included in the manuscript, usually in a separate section before the references. If no relevant conflict exists, authors must provide an explicit declaration to that effect.

MJSE may request additional information or a completed disclosure form when necessary to clarify the circumstances of a submission.

4.2. Peer Reviewers

Peer reviewers must evaluate manuscripts objectively, independently, and confidentially. Reviewers must disclose any circumstances that could compromise, or reasonably be perceived to compromise, their impartiality.

Relevant circumstances include:

  • Current or recent research collaborations with one or more of the manuscript's authors.
  • Close personal relationships, supervisory relationships, or professional conflicts with the authors.
  • Financial interests in the research findings or in organizations associated with the manuscript.
  • Direct involvement in preparing the manuscript or reviewing a previous version of the same work.
  • Competing research interests that could be affected by the manuscript's publication.
  • Other circumstances that could prevent an impartial and balanced assessment.

Reviewers must inform the editor of any potential conflict of interest when invited to review a manuscript and before accepting the assignment. If a conflict becomes apparent after the review has begun, the reviewer must notify the editor promptly.

Depending on the nature and significance of the conflict, the editor may request that the reviewer withdraw from the assignment and appoint an alternative reviewer.

4.3. Editors, Editorial Board Members, and Journal Staff

Editors, editorial board members, and journal staff must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, personal, or academic interests that could influence their editorial responsibilities.

Relevant conflicts may include relationships with manuscript authors, institutional affiliations, research collaborations, competing scholarly interests, financial relationships, or involvement in a manuscript under consideration.

Any editor or editorial board member who has a significant conflict of interest concerning a particular manuscript must not participate in its review management or publication decision.

In such cases, the manuscript must be assigned to an independent editor or another qualified editorial board member without a relevant conflict of interest.

Manuscripts submitted by the Editor-in-Chief, editors, editorial board members, or journal staff must undergo an independent editorial assessment and peer-review process. The submitting individual must not influence the selection of reviewers, editorial deliberations, or the final publication decision concerning their own manuscript.

4.4. Journal-Level Conflicts of Interest

MJSE is committed to maintaining editorial independence from commercial, institutional, and other external influences.

The journal's publisher, sponsoring institution, and affiliated organizations must not interfere with editorial decisions concerning manuscript acceptance, revision, or rejection.

Financial arrangements, institutional affiliations, author fees, sponsorships, or other relationships must not determine the outcome of peer review or publication decisions.

The journal will take appropriate measures to ensure that editorial decisions are made independently and consistently with its publication ethics policies.

  1. Assessment and Management of Disclosed Conflicts

All disclosed conflicts of interest will be assessed by the appropriate editorial authority according to their nature, relevance, and potential impact on research integrity or editorial impartiality.

Depending on the circumstances, MJSE may take one or more of the following actions:

  1. Request clarification or additional disclosure from the author, reviewer, editor, or other relevant individual.
  2. Require a more explicit conflict of interest or funding statement in the manuscript.
  3. Publish the relevant declaration alongside the article.
  4. Appoint an alternative reviewer or editor who has no relevant conflict.
  5. Introduce additional independent review or editorial oversight where necessary.
  6. Request appropriate revisions to address concerns about transparency or potential bias.
  7. Decline to consider or publish a manuscript when a significant conflict cannot be adequately managed or when the circumstances compromise the integrity of the research or its evaluation.

The presence of a disclosed conflict will not, by itself, constitute grounds for rejecting a manuscript. Decisions will depend on whether the conflict can be managed adequately and whether the research meets the journal's academic and ethical standards.

  1. Publication of Conflict of Interest and Funding Statements

MJSE requires a conflict of interest declaration for all published articles.

Authors must include a statement identifying relevant competing interests or explicitly declaring that no competing interests exist. Research funding must also be disclosed, including the role of the funding body in the research and publication process.

Examples of acceptable statements include the following:

When no conflict of interest exists:

"The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper."

When a conflict of interest exists:

"The authors declare the following competing interests: [provide a clear description of the relevant financial, institutional, personal, or professional relationships]. These interests are disclosed to ensure transparency in the research and publication process."

When the research receives funding:

"This research was funded by [name of funding institution or grant provider], under grant number [grant number, if applicable]. The funder had [describe its role] in the research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and decision to submit the article for publication."

When the funder has no involvement in the research process:

"This research received funding from [name of funding institution or grant provider]. The funder had no role in the research design, data collection, data analysis, interpretation of the findings, manuscript preparation, or decision to submit the article for publication."

When the research receives no external funding:

"This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors."

Authors must ensure that their declarations are accurate, complete, and consistent with the information provided during submission.

  1. Conflicts of Interest Identified After Publication

If a potential undisclosed conflict of interest is reported or identified after an article has been published, MJSE will investigate the matter fairly and confidentially.

The journal may request explanations or supporting information from the authors and other relevant parties. The investigation will follow applicable publication ethics principles and consider the nature and significance of the alleged conflict.

Where necessary, the journal may take appropriate corrective action, including:

  • Publishing a correction or clarification to provide additional disclosure.
  • Publishing an editorial expression of concern while an investigation is ongoing.
  • Referring the matter to the relevant institution or organization when appropriate.
  • Retracting the article in serious cases where the circumstances warrant retraction under the journal's publication ethics and retraction policies.

All actions will be proportionate to the findings of the investigation and intended to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

  1. Confidentiality and Record Keeping

MJSE will maintain appropriate confidential records of conflict of interest disclosures submitted by authors, peer reviewers, editors, editorial board members, and journal staff.

These records will be used for editorial assessment, ethical oversight, and the management of potential conflicts. Access will be restricted to authorized personnel and handled in accordance with applicable confidentiality and data protection requirements.

Information will be disclosed publicly only when necessary for publication transparency, ethical accountability, or other legitimate editorial purposes.

  1. Policy Implementation and Compliance

All authors, peer reviewers, editors, editorial board members, and journal staff are expected to comply with this policy as part of their participation in the scholarly publishing process of Musyarakah: Journal of Sharia Economics (MJSE).

Failure to disclose relevant conflicts of interest or comply with this policy may result in appropriate editorial or administrative action, depending on the nature and severity of the circumstances.

MJSE reserves the right to review and update this policy periodically to reflect developments in publication ethics, scholarly publishing practices, and applicable guidance from COPE and other recognized organizations.

Through this policy, MJSE seeks to promote transparency, fairness, accountability, and trust in the dissemination of scholarly research in Islamic economics and finance.