Conflict of Interest Policy

The Comprehensive Journal of Humanities and Educational Studies (CJHES) is committed to transparency and objectivity in all aspects of the publication process. To ensure this, all parties involved—authors, reviewers, and editors—are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest. This policy is in line with best practices recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and other leading academic bodies.

1. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when professional or personal considerations may influence or appear to influence an individual's objectivity. This can be financial (e.g., employment, consultancies, stock ownership, grants) or non-financial (e.g., personal relationships, academic rivalries).

2. Author Responsibilities

  • Disclosure: At the time of submission, authors must declare any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest. This includes any support from or relationship with organizations that may gain or lose financially from the publication of the manuscript.

  • Funding Statement: Authors must include a statement in their manuscript acknowledging all sources of funding for the research, if any.

3. Reviewer Responsibilities

  • Disclosure and Recusal: Reviewers are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest before agreeing to review a manuscript. If a conflict exists (e.g., they are a recent collaborator with an author, have a personal relationship with an author, or are a direct competitor), they must decline the invitation to review.

  • Objectivity: Reviewers must provide an objective and unbiased assessment of the manuscript, irrespective of any personal or professional relationships.

4. Editor Responsibilities

  • Recusal: Editors must recuse themselves from the review process of any manuscript where they have a potential conflict of interest. This includes manuscripts submitted by colleagues, former students, or close collaborators.

  • Fairness: Editors must ensure that the peer review process is fair and transparent and that decisions are based solely on the scientific merit of the manuscript.

All declared conflicts of interest will be considered confidential by the editorial office and will be used to ensure the integrity of the review process. If a conflict is discovered after publication, the journal reserves the right to publish a correction or, in severe cases, retract the article.