Conflict of Interest Policy

Jurnal Sosial Humaniora (JSH) is a peer-reviewed, open-access scholarly journal published by CV. Surya Buana through Surya Buana Consulting and managed by an Editorial Team officially appointed by the leadership of CV. Surya Buana.

JSH is committed to maintaining transparency, objectivity, impartiality, academic integrity, and editorial independence throughout the scholarly publication process.

This policy establishes the responsibilities of authors, peer reviewers, editors, editorial board members, and the publisher in identifying, disclosing, evaluating, and managing conflicts of interest. It is informed by COPE and ICMJE recommendations and applies to articles in Bahasa Indonesia and English.

1. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest (COI), also known as a competing interest, arises when professional judgment or scholarly responsibilities could be influenced, or reasonably perceived to be influenced, by financial, personal, professional, academic, institutional, or other secondary interests.

Conflicts may be actual, potential, or perceived. The existence of a conflict does not necessarily indicate misconduct or invalidate research. However, failure to disclose relevant interests may undermine transparency and confidence in scholarly publishing.

2. Types of Conflicts of Interest

  • Financial Interests: Research funding, employment, sponsorship, consultancy fees, honoraria, patents, royalties, shares, or other financial interests.
  • Personal Relationships: Family relationships, close friendships, personal rivalries, or other relationships that may affect impartiality.
  • Professional and Academic Relationships: Research collaborations, supervisory relationships, academic competition, shared projects, or other professional connections.
  • Institutional Interests: Employment, organizational affiliations, institutional partnerships, or administrative responsibilities that may influence judgment.
  • Intellectual and Other Non-Financial Interests: Strong intellectual commitments, professional advocacy, or other relevant positions that may affect independent evaluation.

3. Responsibilities of Authors

All authors must disclose relevant financial and non-financial interests that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, their research or its publication.

Authors are required to:

  1. Declare relevant conflicts of interest during manuscript submission.
  2. Disclose relevant financial, institutional, professional, and personal relationships.
  3. Identify research funding and explain the funder's role in the research where applicable.
  4. Ensure all co-authors approve the Conflict of Interest Statement.
  5. Notify the Editorial Team of newly identified conflicts.
  6. Provide clarification or supporting documentation when reasonably requested.

A Conflict of Interest Statement must be included in every manuscript, including manuscripts without relevant conflicts.

Declaration when no conflict exists: "The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to the research, authorship, and publication of this article."

Research funding declarations should be presented separately when required by the journal's manuscript template.

4. Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers

JSH applies a double-anonymous peer-review process. Reviewers must maintain independence, objectivity, confidentiality, and integrity.

  1. Disclose potential conflicts before accepting a review assignment.
  2. Decline assignments when relevant conflicts cannot be appropriately managed.
  3. Report research collaborations, supervisory relationships, institutional connections, or personal relationships that may affect independent judgment.
  4. Notify the editor if an author's identity is recognized and a conflict may exist.
  5. Protect unpublished manuscript information from unauthorized use.
  6. Report any conflict discovered during the review process.

The Editorial Team determines whether reviewers may proceed with safeguards or should be replaced. Reviewers with substantial conflicts must not participate in the assessment.

5. Responsibilities of Editors and Editorial Board Members

Editors and Editorial Board members must disclose relationships or interests that could compromise impartial manuscript evaluation or editorial decision-making.

Relevant conflicts may involve:

  • Manuscripts authored by the editor.
  • Manuscripts from close family members or significant personal relationships.
  • Recent or ongoing research collaborators.
  • Relevant financial or institutional interests.
  • Other circumstances creating a substantial risk of biased evaluation.

Conflicted editors must withdraw from manuscript assessment, reviewer selection, peer-review management, and final decisions.

An independent qualified editor must be assigned to manage the affected manuscript. Editorial Board members may submit manuscripts, provided that independent editorial handling and peer review are maintained.

6. Responsibilities of the Publisher

CV. Surya Buana, as the official publisher, supports transparent, responsible, and independent scholarly publishing.

Although the Editorial Team is appointed by the leadership of CV. Surya Buana, the publisher respects editorial independence and must not interfere with reviewer selection, manuscript assessment, or publication decisions.

The Article Processing Charge (APC) of IDR 500,000 per accepted article must not influence editorial decisions or guarantee manuscript acceptance.

Manuscripts involving publisher leadership, employees, management, or other associated individuals must undergo independent editorial evaluation and peer review with appropriate conflict-of-interest safeguards.

7. Disclosure and Management Procedures

  1. Disclosure: Relevant interests must be disclosed as early as possible.
  2. Preliminary Assessment: The responsible editor assesses the nature, relevance, and potential influence of the disclosed interest.
  3. Risk Management: Measures may include disclosure, independent oversight, reviewer replacement, editorial reassignment, or withdrawal from evaluation.
  4. Documentation: Relevant declarations and decisions are recorded confidentially through OJS or authorized editorial records.
  5. Publication Disclosure: Relevant author Conflict of Interest Statements are included in published articles.
  6. Ongoing Monitoring: Newly identified conflicts must be reported and assessed promptly.

8. Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

Failure to disclose a relevant conflict may constitute a breach of publication ethics. When an undisclosed interest is identified, the Editorial Team may:

  1. Request clarification.
  2. Examine relevant records and evidence.
  3. Suspend processing while significant concerns are assessed.
  4. Arrange independent reassessment or additional peer review.
  5. Require correction or clarification of published disclosures.
  6. Issue an expression of concern, correction, or retraction where justified.
  7. Refer serious unresolved concerns to relevant institutions where appropriate.

Editorial responses must be proportionate to the circumstances and available evidence. Non-disclosure does not automatically invalidate research or require retraction.

9. Confidentiality, Transparency, and Accountability

JSH protects confidential manuscripts, review reports, editorial communications, and sensitive conflict-of-interest records.

Disclosure information is accessed only by authorized individuals responsible for evaluation and conflict management. Relevant author declarations are published while unnecessary personal information remains protected.

Editorial decisions must be based on scholarly merit, research integrity, and established editorial policies.

10. Conflict of Interest Declaration

A. No Conflict of Interest

"The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to the research, authorship, and publication of this article."

B. Conflict of Interest Disclosed

"The authors declare the following potential conflicts of interest: [Describe the relevant financial, personal, professional, or institutional relationships and explain their relevance to the research]."

Authors must ensure that declarations accurately reflect all contributors' relevant interests and are updated whenever circumstances change.

11. Policy Implementation and Review

This policy applies to all JSH submissions and publications, regardless of language, research methodology, author affiliation, or manuscript type.

The Editorial Team is responsible for implementing the policy, evaluating disclosures, managing conflicts, and maintaining appropriate documentation.

CV. Surya Buana provides institutional support while respecting editorial independence. JSH periodically reviews this policy to remain consistent with recognized ethical standards.

Ethical References