Conflict of Interests

The Bulletin of Humanities and Social Sciences (BHSS) recognizes that the integrity of the peer-review process and the credibility of published scholarship depend on the transparent and appropriate management of conflicts of interest at every stage—authorship, peer review, and editorial decision-making.

A conflict of interest arises when authors, reviewers, editors, or affiliated institutions have financial, professional, personal, political, or academic relationships that could influence—or be perceived to influence—their objectivity or professional judgment. Conflicts may exist even when individuals believe that their scholarly integrity is not affected.

To maintain transparency and trust, all participants in the submission and review process must disclose any relationships or circumstances that could potentially constitute a conflict of interest.

Editors may consider these disclosures during editorial decision-making and, when appropriate, may publish relevant disclosures alongside the article to ensure accountability.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must fully disclose any financial, institutional, personal, or professional relationships that could introduce bias into their research, analysis, or interpretation.

Examples include:

  • Research funding from interested organizations

  • Consulting fees or advisory roles

  • Institutional affiliations that may benefit from the publication

  • Personal or academic relationships that may influence interpretation

Authors must:

  • Include a Conflict of Interest statement in their manuscript

  • Clearly state whether conflicts exist

  • Acknowledge any writing assistance or editorial support

  • Disclose all funding sources and grant numbers (if applicable)

If no conflicts exist, authors should state:

“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

2. Funding Sources

Research may be supported by governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, private foundations, or commercial entities.

Authors must disclose:

  • The identity of all funding sources

  • The role of the sponsor (if any) in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or publication decisions

Editors reserve the right to decline manuscripts if there is evidence that a funding body has exerted undue influence over the research or publication process.

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may affect their evaluation of a manuscript.

Conflicts may arise from:

  • Personal relationships with authors

  • Institutional affiliations

  • Academic competition

  • Collaborative relationships

  • Financial interests

If a reviewer identifies a conflict, they must decline the review invitation.

Reviewers must not use information obtained through peer review for personal or professional advantage.

Authors may suggest individuals who should not review their manuscript due to potential conflicts, with justification. However, final reviewer selection rests with the editorial team.

4. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors must conduct the editorial process impartially and independently.

Editors must:

  • Avoid involvement in decisions where conflicts exist

  • Recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where impartiality may be compromised

  • Disclose relevant financial or professional interests

  • Ensure transparency in editorial decision-making

Members of the editorial board must maintain accurate and up-to-date disclosures of relevant interests.

Editorial staff are strictly prohibited from using confidential information obtained during peer review for personal benefit.

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for:

  • Communicating and enforcing conflict of interest policies

  • Ensuring consistent application of ethical standards

  • Publishing the journal’s policies to maintain transparency

Transparency and Disclosure

Conflict of interest disclosures may be published with accepted articles to ensure transparency for readers.

Failure to disclose relevant conflicts may result in:

  • Rejection of the manuscript

  • Publication of a correction

  • Retraction of the article

  • Notification of relevant institutions

BHSS is committed to maintaining academic integrity, transparency, and trust in scholarly publishing through rigorous conflict of interest management.