Conflict of Interest

Jurnal Ekonomi Syariah Indonesia (JESI) is committed to maintaining transparency, objectivity, fairness, and integrity throughout the scholarly publishing process. Conflicts of interest may arise when personal, professional, financial, institutional, or other relationships could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, the preparation, evaluation, editorial handling, or publication of a manuscript.

JESI follows the principles and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) regarding the disclosure and management of competing interests. All authors, editors, and reviewers are expected to disclose relevant conflicts of interest and cooperate with the journal in managing them appropriately.

The existence of a conflict of interest does not necessarily indicate misconduct or automatically disqualify a manuscript from consideration. However, failure to disclose a relevant conflict may compromise the transparency, independence, and credibility of the publication process.

1. Definition and Scope

A conflict of interest, also referred to as a competing interest, exists when an individual has interests or relationships that could unduly influence their professional judgment or create a reasonable perception of bias.

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

- *Financial interests:* Employment, consultancy, honoraria, research grants, funding, stock ownership, patents, royalties, or other financial relationships with organizations that may benefit from or be adversely affected by the publication.
- *Professional interests:* Employment relationships, supervisory arrangements, institutional affiliations, professional competition, or other relationships that may affect impartial judgment.
- *Personal relationships:* Family relationships, close friendships, personal disputes, or other relationships with authors, reviewers, editors, or relevant organizations.
- *Academic interests:* Close research collaborations, recent co-authorship, direct competition in a research area, or other academic relationships that may compromise independent evaluation.
- *Institutional interests:* Affiliations or responsibilities that may create incentives to favor or disadvantage particular research findings, authors, or institutions.
- *Ideological or other interests:* Strong personal, political, religious, or other commitments that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the assessment or presentation of scholarly work.

In the context of Islamic economics and finance research, competing interests may also arise from professional, advisory, financial, or institutional relationships with Islamic financial institutions, halal industry organizations, Sharia supervisory bodies, regulatory authorities, or other entities directly related to the research.

This list is not exhaustive. Individuals are responsible for identifying and disclosing any interest that could reasonably be perceived as relevant to the manuscript or editorial decision.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

All authors must disclose relevant financial and non-financial competing interests at the time of manuscript submission. Disclosures should cover interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research, its interpretation, the preparation of the manuscript, or the decision to publish the findings.

Authors should disclose, where applicable:

1. Financial support, grants, sponsorships, or other funding related to the research.
2. Employment, consultancy, honoraria, stock ownership, or other financial relationships relevant to the study.
3. Personal, professional, academic, or institutional relationships that may influence the research or its interpretation.
4. Relevant intellectual property interests, including patents or patent applications.
5. The role of funders or sponsors in the research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, or publication decision.
6. Advisory, supervisory, or professional relationships with Islamic financial institutions, Sharia supervisory boards, halal certification bodies, or other organizations relevant to the research.

Authors must also disclose relevant interests that could affect the interpretation of their findings, even when they believe these interests have not influenced the research.

Where no competing interests exist, authors should provide an explicit declaration stating:

*"The authors declare that they have no competing interests."*

Funding disclosures and competing-interest declarations serve different purposes and should be provided separately when required by the journal's submission system.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors have been informed of the disclosure requirements and that the declarations submitted to JESI are accurate and complete.

3. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could affect their ability to evaluate a manuscript objectively.

An editor should not handle a manuscript when a relevant conflict exists, including situations in which the editor:

- Is an author or co-author of the manuscript.
- Has a close personal or professional relationship with one or more authors.
- Has recently collaborated with an author in a manner that could compromise impartiality.
- Has a financial or institutional interest in the manuscript's outcome.
- Has a direct academic or professional rivalry that could affect editorial judgment.
- Holds an advisory, supervisory, or organizational position directly related to the research that could compromise editorial independence.
- Has another interest that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the editorial decision.

When a conflict is identified, the editor must notify the appropriate editorial authority and withdraw from handling the manuscript. An independent editor without a relevant conflict should be appointed to manage the peer-review and decision-making process.

Editors must not use unpublished information obtained through editorial handling for personal advantage, professional gain, or any purpose unrelated to their editorial responsibilities.

JESI expects editors to maintain confidentiality, exercise independent judgment, and ensure that manuscripts are evaluated on their scholarly merit rather than on personal relationships, institutional affiliations, religious perspectives, or other competing interests.

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest before accepting or proceeding with a review assignment.

Reviewers should notify the editorial team if they:

- Have a close personal, professional, or financial relationship with any of the authors.
- Have recently collaborated with an author or share a research project that could compromise impartiality.
- Have a direct competitive interest in the research, data, methods, or findings.
- Have an institutional or professional relationship that could influence their assessment.
- Have financial, advisory, or supervisory relationships with organizations directly involved in the research.
- Believe that another relevant circumstance may affect, or reasonably appear to affect, their objectivity.

Where a conflict is substantial, the reviewer should decline the invitation or inform the editor so that an appropriate decision can be made regarding their participation.

Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and must not use unpublished data, findings, or ideas for their own research or other purposes without appropriate authorization.

A reviewer's disclosure does not automatically prevent participation in peer review. The editor is responsible for assessing the nature and significance of the conflict and determining whether the review can proceed without compromising the integrity of the evaluation.

5. Disclosure and Management Procedures

JESI requires competing interests to be disclosed through the journal's designated submission system or official editorial communication channels.

The journal may request additional information or clarification when a disclosure is incomplete or when a potential conflict becomes apparent during editorial assessment or peer review.

Depending on the circumstances, appropriate management measures may include:

- Recording the disclosed interest in the journal's editorial records.
- Requesting an amended or additional declaration.
- Appointing an alternative editor or reviewer.
- Restricting an individual's involvement in a particular editorial decision.
- Including a relevant disclosure statement in the published article.
- Referring serious concerns to the relevant institution or competent authority when necessary.

The editorial team will determine the appropriate response based on the nature of the interest, its potential influence on the research or editorial process, and the available information.

6. Undisclosed or Misrepresented Conflicts of Interest

If JESI becomes aware of a potentially undisclosed or misrepresented conflict of interest, the editorial team will assess the concern in accordance with the journal's publication ethics procedures and relevant COPE guidance.

The assessment may involve requesting an explanation from the individuals concerned, examining relevant documentation, consulting independent advisers, or contacting the relevant institution when appropriate.

If a failure to disclose is substantiated, the journal may take proportionate action depending on the circumstances. Such action may include requesting a corrected declaration, reassessing the manuscript, changing editorial assignments, rejecting a manuscript, publishing a correction, issuing an expression of concern, or considering retraction where warranted.

No adverse editorial action will be taken solely on the basis of an unverified allegation. Decisions will be based on the available evidence and the need to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

7. Publication of Conflict of Interest Statements

JESI may publish relevant competing-interest declarations alongside accepted articles to ensure transparency for readers.

Where applicable, published statements should identify relevant financial support, professional relationships, institutional affiliations, advisory roles, or other interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or its interpretation.

If no competing interests have been declared, the journal may publish the statement:

*"The authors declare that they have no competing interests."*

The published declaration should accurately reflect the information provided and verified during the editorial process. Authors remain responsible for the accuracy and completeness of their disclosures.

8. Relationship with Other Editorial Policies

This policy should be read in conjunction with JESI's Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement, Authorship Criteria, Peer Review Policy, and Allegations of Research Misconduct Policy.

The policy is informed by COPE's principles and guidance on competing interests, editorial independence, peer-review integrity, and the fair handling of publication ethics concerns.

JESI may update its procedures in response to developments in scholarly publishing standards and publication ethics guidance.

9. Contact Information

Questions or concerns regarding competing-interest disclosures should be directed to the editorial office of Jurnal Ekonomi Syariah Indonesia (JESI) through the official contact information provided on the journal's website.

Authors, editors, and reviewers are encouraged to disclose relevant interests as early as possible so that the journal can determine appropriate measures to protect the objectivity, transparency, and integrity of the publication process.

Through this policy, JESI seeks to foster trust among authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and the wider academic community by ensuring that relevant competing interests are disclosed and managed responsibly.