Conflict of Interest Policy

1. Policy Statement

AL MANAR: Jurnal Komunikasi dan Pendidikan Islam is committed to transparency, impartiality, accountability, and editorial independence in scholarly publishing.

All authors, editors, reviewers, and other individuals involved in the publication process must disclose actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could influence, or reasonably appear to influence, their professional judgment.

The journal seeks to ensure that editorial decisions concerning research in communication, Islamic education, da'wah, media studies, and related fields are based on scholarly merit, methodological rigor, originality, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal's scope, rather than personal, institutional, professional, or financial interests.

2. Types of Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of interest may arise from financial, professional, institutional, academic, or personal relationships that could affect the objectivity or independence of research, peer review, or editorial decision-making.

Examples include research funding or sponsorship, employment relationships, consultancy arrangements, financial interests, close professional collaborations, institutional affiliations, personal relationships, academic competition, and other relationships that may create competing obligations or interests.

Conflicts may also arise when individuals have strong professional, institutional, or personal interests in the outcomes of research concerning communication practices, religious discourse, da'wah, educational policies, or Islamic educational institutions.

The existence of a competing interest does not automatically invalidate research or prohibit publication. Appropriate disclosure, evaluation, and management are essential to maintaining scholarly integrity.

3. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must disclose all relevant financial and non-financial competing interests when submitting a manuscript to AL MANAR: Jurnal Komunikasi dan Pendidikan Islam.

Authors must disclose all sources of research funding and explain the role of sponsors, where applicable, in the design of the study, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and decisions concerning publication.

Relevant non-financial interests may include personal relationships, professional affiliations, academic commitments, or other circumstances that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or its interpretation.

A competing interests declaration must be provided even when no conflicts exist.

Where applicable, authors may use the following statement:

"The authors declare that they have no competing interests that could have influenced the research reported in this article."

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their declarations are accurate, complete, and updated when relevant circumstances change during the editorial and publication process.

4. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors must disclose any relationship or interest that may compromise, or reasonably appear to compromise, their impartiality in handling a manuscript.

An editor with a relevant conflict of interest must withdraw from the editorial assessment and decision-making process for the affected submission. The manuscript should be assigned to an independent editor where appropriate.

Editors must maintain confidentiality and ensure that editorial decisions are based on scholarly quality, originality, methodological soundness, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal's scope.

Editorial decisions must remain independent of commercial interests, publication charges, advertising, sponsorship, personal relationships, and institutional influence.

Editors must not use unpublished information obtained through their editorial responsibilities for personal, professional, or financial advantage.

5. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must inform the editorial office of any actual, potential, or perceived competing interests that could affect their ability to evaluate a manuscript objectively.

Reviewers should decline an assignment when a competing interest cannot be managed appropriately. Where the interest is manageable, the editor will determine whether the reviewer may proceed under appropriate safeguards.

Confidential manuscript information must not be used for personal, professional, academic, or financial advantage. Reviewers must provide fair, evidence-based, and constructive assessments without allowing personal relationships, institutional affiliations, scholarly rivalry, or ideological preferences to improperly influence their recommendations.

Reviewers must also disclose any relevant conflict that emerges during the review process.

6. Management and Disclosure

The editorial office of AL MANAR: Jurnal Komunikasi dan Pendidikan Islam will assess declared competing interests and determine appropriate management measures according to the circumstances of each case.

Possible measures include requesting additional disclosures, assigning an independent editor, replacing a reviewer, reassigning editorial responsibility, or implementing other proportionate safeguards to protect the integrity of the editorial process.

Relevant author declarations may be published alongside accepted articles to promote transparency and enable readers to evaluate potential influences on the research.

The journal will maintain appropriate records of disclosures and the management of competing interests while respecting confidentiality and applicable ethical requirements.

7. Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

Credible allegations involving undisclosed material conflicts of interest will be assessed in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics and Allegations of Research Misconduct Policy.

The editorial office may request clarification and supporting information from the individuals concerned and provide a reasonable opportunity for them to respond.

Depending on the evidence, seriousness, and consequences of the undisclosed interest, appropriate actions may include requesting a disclosure statement or correction, suspending editorial assessment, rejecting a manuscript, or issuing a correction, expression of concern, or retraction for a published article.

All cases will be assessed fairly and proportionately. An allegation of an undisclosed conflict of interest will not automatically be treated as proof of misconduct.

8. Policy Reference

This policy reflects the principles of editorial independence, transparency, accountability, and responsible conflict-of-interest management described in relevant publication-ethics guidance, including the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices.

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Core Practices.

https://publicationethics.org/core-practices

This policy should be read together with the journal's Publication Ethics, Peer Review Process, Allegations of Research Misconduct Policy, and other relevant editorial policies