Conflict of Interest Policy

The International Journal of Legal Studies, Institutions, and Governance (IJLSIG) is committed to ensuring objective, independent, and transparent research and publishing. All authors, reviewers, editors, and representatives must disclose and manage any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest.

1. Purpose and Definition

A conflict of interest (competing interest) arises where a secondary interest, relationship, or commitment could reasonably influence—or appear to influence—a person’s professional judgement concerning research, peer review, editorial decision-making, or publication.

Conflicts may be actual, potential, or perceived. Existence of a conflict does not automatically constitute misconduct, but failure to disclose it violates publication ethics.

2. Types of Conflict of Interest

Conflicts of interest may be financial or non-financial, including:

• Financial Interests: Employment, consultancies, honoraria, grants, travel/hospitality, patents, legal representation, or commercial contracts.
• Personal & Family Relationships: Close friendships, family ties, intimate relationships, or personal antagonisms.
• Professional & Institutional: Same-institution employment, recent collaboration/co-authorship (within the last 3 years), or supervisory ties.
• Academic & Intellectual: Direct rivalry, strongly established public positions, or competing research programs.
• Political & Ideological: Party membership, advocacy roles, or public campaigning on the subject.
• Legal & Professional Practice: Acting as legal counsel, expert witness, drafting analyzed legislation, or holding public office connected to the manuscript topic.

3. Authors’ Responsibilities & Declarations

Authors must disclose all conflicts at submission. Every manuscript must contain a Conflict of Interest Statement.

4. Funding Disclosure

Authors must state all financial support received, funder grant numbers, and the funder’s role in the research/publication process.

If no funding: “This research received no external funding.”

5. Reviewers’ & Editors’ Responsibilities

Reviewers and Editors must decline or recuse themselves from processing a manuscript if they have financial, personal, institutional, or direct academic conflicts with the authors or content.

Conflicted Editors: Must not select reviewers, access confidential reviewer identities, participate in deliberations, or make editorial decisions. The manuscript will be reassigned.

6. Submissions by Editors or Board Members

Submissions authored by Editors or Board members undergo the standard double-blind peer review handled entirely by an independent editor without the author-editor's involvement. If the Editor-in-Chief is an author, the publisher will appoint an independent editor to manage the process.

7. Publisher, Sponsors, and Funders

PT Darma Cendekia Pustaka and external sponsors/funders must respect full editorial independence. They must not direct acceptance/rejection, suppress valid conclusions, or allow commercial fees to influence decisions.

8. Management of Disclosed & Undisclosed Conflicts

Disclosed conflicts are evaluated to determine recusal or management needs. If an undisclosed conflict is identified pre- or post-publication, IJLSIG will investigate and may require amended disclosures, additional peer review, manuscript rejection, formal corrections, or article retraction.

9. Confidentiality, Appeals & Related Policies

Conflict investigations remain confidential. Concerns regarding conflicts may be submitted under the Complaints and Appeals Policy. This policy operates in conjunction with IJLSIG's Publication Ethics, Peer Review Process, and Author Guidelines.