Conflict of Interest

Al-Ibrah: Jurnal Pendidikan dan Keilmuan Islam is committed to maintaining academic integrity, objectivity, transparency, and editorial independence throughout the research and publication process. Authors, editors, and reviewers are required to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that may influence the research process, peer review, editorial decisions, or publication of a manuscript.

1. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest occurs when personal, professional, academic, financial, or institutional interests or relationships may influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, an individual's objectivity, judgment, or responsibilities in the publication process.

A conflict of interest does not necessarily constitute research misconduct. However, failure to disclose a relevant conflict may compromise the transparency and credibility of scholarly publishing.

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

  1. Financial interests, including research grants, honoraria, consultancy fees, stock ownership, or other financial support.

  2. Professional or academic relationships, including employment, research collaboration, academic competition, supervision, or other professional affiliations.

  3. Personal or family relationships that may affect impartial judgment.

  4. Institutional interests that may influence research outcomes or editorial decisions.

  5. Other relevant interests or commitments that could affect the objectivity or independence of the publication process.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

All authors must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest related to their submitted manuscript. Disclosures must include relevant financial and non-financial interests that could influence the research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or reporting of findings.

If no conflict of interest exists, authors must explicitly state that there are no conflicts of interest to declare.

The conflict of interest statement should be included in the manuscript, preferably in the designated section before the references, in accordance with the journal's manuscript preparation guidelines.

Examples of statements are provided below:

When no conflict of interest exists:

“Conflict of Interest Statement: The authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could have influenced the conduct of the research, the interpretation of the findings, or the publication of this article.”

When a conflict of interest exists:

“Conflict of Interest Statement: The authors declare the following conflicts of interest relevant to this study: [provide a clear and specific description of the conflict].”

All authors are responsible for ensuring that the disclosure is accurate, complete, and approved by every co-author.

3. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors must maintain editorial independence and ensure that editorial decisions are based on the manuscript's academic quality, relevance to the journal's scope, research integrity, and peer-review assessments.

Editors who have an actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest concerning a manuscript must disclose the conflict and refrain from handling the manuscript when their impartiality may reasonably be questioned. In such cases, the manuscript should be assigned to another qualified editor who can manage the editorial process independently.

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest before accepting or continuing a review assignment. Relevant conflicts may include recent or ongoing research collaborations with the authors, direct academic competition, personal relationships, financial interests, or other professional circumstances that could affect impartiality.

Reviewers who identify a conflict that may compromise their objectivity should decline the invitation or withdraw from the review process. The editor will then seek an alternative reviewer to ensure an independent and fair assessment.

5. Funding and Research Support Disclosure

Authors must disclose all sources of funding or other support relevant to the research, including the name of the funding organization and grant number, where applicable.

Authors must also explain the role of the funder in the research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and decision to submit the article for publication.

If the funder had no involvement in these activities, the authors should explicitly state this in the manuscript.

6. Handling Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

The editorial team is responsible for assessing disclosed conflicts of interest and determining appropriate measures to protect the integrity of the publication process. Depending on the circumstances, these measures may include requesting additional information, reassigning an editor, appointing an alternative reviewer, or taking other appropriate editorial action.

If a previously undisclosed conflict of interest is identified after publication, the journal will assess its significance and potential effect on the integrity of the published article. Where necessary, the journal may publish a correction, an expression of concern, or another appropriate editorial notice in accordance with its publication ethics policies.

7. Commitment to Transparency

Al-Ibrah: Jurnal Pendidikan dan Keilmuan Islam considers the transparent disclosure and appropriate management of conflicts of interest essential to maintaining the credibility of scholarly publishing. All parties involved in the publication process are expected to act honestly, disclose relevant interests, and cooperate with the editorial team to safeguard academic integrity and editorial independence.