Conflict of Interest Policy

General Provisions

All authors, peer reviewers, and members of the editorial team of Journal of Legal Studies and Researches (JLSR) must disclose any circumstances that could constitute a conflict of interest in relation to manuscripts submitted to the journal.

A conflict of interest may arise from financial, professional, or personal associations that could inappropriately influence or be perceived to influence the objectivity, integrity, or interpretation of a submission. Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • Financial ties (employment, consultancy, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patents, or royalties).
  • Professional or institutional affiliations (membership in advisory boards, committees, or boards of directors related to the topic of the manuscript).
  • Personal relationships (family ties, thesis supervision, close collaborations, rivalries, or friendships).

When a conflict of interest is declared, a note describing the nature of the conflict will be published with the final article.

Conflict of Interest Policy for Authors

  • At the time of submission, authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and acknowledge all sources of financial or institutional support.
  • This information should be included in the Acknowledgments section of the manuscript.
  • The corresponding author bears the responsibility of ensuring that all co-authors are aware of and have disclosed their potential conflicts.
  • Editors and reviewers who have recently collaborated with the author(s) defined as coauthoring a publication or being principal investigators on a grant within the past 48 months, will be excluded from handling the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest Policy for Reviewers and Editors

  • Reviewers and editors must decline involvement in the review of a manuscript if they believe they cannot provide an unbiased assessment due to a conflict of interest.
  • If a reviewer or editor identifies a potential conflict but feels capable of providing an impartial evaluation, the situation must be disclosed to the editorial office.
  • Editors must not make editorial decisions on manuscripts where they have direct or perceived conflicts of interest.

Potential Conflicts of Interest for Reviewers

Each invitation to review will include the following note: “If you recognize or suspect the identity of the author(s) and believe that a potential conflict of interest may exist (e.g., due to personal relationships, professional rivalry, or close collaboration), please declare it immediately. Acceptance of this invitation implies that no such conflict exists.” If a reviewer declares a conflict of interest, the manuscript will be reassigned to another qualified reviewer to ensure an impartial evaluation.

Special Cases

  1. Submission by an Editor
    Manuscripts submitted by editors of SLLE will be handled by another editor who does not have a conflict of interest and is not affiliated with the same institution. That editor will manage the peer review and make the final decision.
  2. Submission by Authors at the Same Institution as an Editor
    If a manuscript is submitted by an author affiliated with the same institution as an editor, it will be assigned to another editor without ties to that institution, who will oversee the review process.
  3. Submission by a Family Member or Close Associate of an Editor
    Manuscripts submitted by family members, close collaborators, or individuals with personal or professional ties to an editor will be reassigned to another editor to avoid any perception of bias.

Sanctions and Corrections

  • JLSR reserves the right to issue corrections, errata, or retractions if previously undisclosed conflicts of interest are discovered after publication.
  • Authors, reviewers, or editors who intentionally or recklessly fail to disclose relevant conflicts may face sanctions, which may include temporary or permanent restrictions on publishing or reviewing for the journal.

Scope

This policy applies to all submissions, reviews, and editorial decisions for Journal of Legal Studies and Researches (JLSR), ensuring transparency, fairness, and accountability throughout the publication process.