Conflict of Interest Policy

BARAKATI: Journal of Community Service is committed to maintaining the integrity, objectivity, transparency, and credibility of scholarly publishing.

This policy ensures that manuscript preparation, peer review, editorial assessment, and publication decisions are not improperly influenced by personal, financial, professional, or institutional interests that could compromise impartial judgment.

1. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest occurs when personal relationships, financial interests, professional commitments, institutional affiliations, or other competing interests could reasonably be perceived as influencing an individual's judgment in the preparation, review, editing, or publication of a manuscript. A conflict does not necessarily indicate misconduct; however, relevant interests must be disclosed and appropriately managed to protect the integrity of the publication process.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

Mandatory Disclosure

Authors must disclose all actual or potential conflicts of interest relevant to their manuscript at the time of submission. Disclosures should be sufficiently clear to enable the editors and readers to assess whether the interests could have influenced the reported work.

Types of Interests to Be Disclosed

  • Financial interests: research or community-service funding, grants, honoraria, consultancy fees, share ownership, paid employment, or commercial relationships with organizations, beneficiaries, or partners relevant to the manuscript.
  • Non-financial interests: personal relationships, academic competition, organizational memberships, ideological commitments, or institutional and political affiliations that could reasonably be perceived as affecting objectivity.

Declaration When No Conflict Exists

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

“The authors declare no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this article.”

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers

  • Reviewers must decline an invitation or promptly inform the editor if an actual or potential conflict of interest could affect their impartiality. Examples include close personal or family relationships, current supervisory relationships, direct institutional or departmental connections, and active research collaboration with an author.
  • Reviewers must disclose relevant financial, professional, personal, or ideological interests associated with the manuscript or its subject matter.
  • Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts objectively and maintain the confidentiality of all materials received during peer review.
  • Reviewers must not use unpublished information, ideas, data, or findings obtained through the review process for personal or professional advantage without appropriate authorization.

4. Responsibilities of Editors

  • Editors must disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest and recuse themselves from handling a manuscript when their impartiality could reasonably be questioned. The manuscript should be reassigned to an appropriate independent editor.
  • Editorial decisions must be based on the manuscript's scholarly quality, relevance to the journal's focus and scope, methodological rigor, contribution to community service, and compliance with publication ethics.
  • Editors must not allow personal relationships, institutional affiliations, financial considerations, or other competing interests to improperly influence editorial decisions.
  • Editors must protect confidential manuscript information and manage disclosed conflicts fairly and consistently.

5. Handling Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

If an undisclosed conflict of interest is identified before or after publication, the editorial team will assess the information, consider relevant evidence, and, where appropriate, request an explanation from the parties concerned. The journal will handle the matter fairly, confidentially where appropriate, and in accordance with applicable publication ethics guidance, including guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Before publication

Possible actions include requesting a disclosure, requiring clarification or revision, changing the reviewer or handling editor, or rejecting the manuscript when the conflict cannot be adequately managed.

After publication

Depending on the nature and seriousness of the case, the journal may publish a correction or disclosure statement, issue an expression of concern, or retract the article if warranted by the evidence and applicable editorial policies.

Any action will be proportionate to the circumstances and intended to preserve the accuracy, transparency, and reliability of the scholarly record. Retraction will not be automatic merely because a conflict exists; the journal will consider whether the conflict affected the integrity or interpretation of the published work.

6. Commitment to Transparency and Research Integrity

BARAKATI: Journal of Community Service expects authors, reviewers, and editors to cooperate in identifying, disclosing, and appropriately managing competing interests. Transparent disclosure enables readers to evaluate the context of published work and strengthens trust in the journal's editorial process.

Our Editorial Commitment

The journal strives to ensure that all editorial and publication decisions are made independently, fairly, and transparently, with the integrity of the scholarly record as the primary consideration.