Conflicts of interest

Regional Studies Journal (RSJ) is committed to maintaining the integrity and independence of scientific and editorial decisions and seeks to identify and manage any actual or potential conflicts of interest that may affect the objectivity of manuscript evaluation or publication decisions.

1. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest refers to any personal, professional, financial, or academic relationship or interest that may influence, or may be perceived as influencing, the objectivity of an author, reviewer, or editorial board member, or the independence of editorial decisions.

The existence of a conflict of interest does not necessarily imply misconduct; however, it must be disclosed, assessed, and appropriately managed.

2. Authors’ Responsibilities

All authors must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest that may be related to the research or affect the interpretation or evaluation of its results.

Such interests may include financial, professional, academic, personal, or institutional relationships relevant to the research.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that conflict-of-interest disclosures are completed on behalf of all co-authors, although this does not exempt other authors from responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided.

3. Reviewers’ Responsibilities

Reviewers must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest that may compromise their impartiality in evaluating a manuscript.

Reviewers should decline a review assignment if they have a conflict of interest that could affect their objectivity, or if they have a close personal or professional relationship with any of the authors that may compromise the independence of the review process.

4. Editorial Board Responsibilities

Editorial Board members must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest related to manuscripts they are involved in evaluating or deciding upon.

In cases of conflict, the Editorial Board may reassign the manuscript to another editor or designate an alternative editorial lead to oversee the review process.

5. Management of Conflicts of Interest

The Editorial Board evaluates disclosed conflicts of interest and takes appropriate measures depending on the nature of the case and its potential impact on the integrity of peer review or editorial decisions.

Measures may include requesting additional information or clarification, replacing a reviewer, reassigning editorial responsibility, or taking other actions deemed necessary to safeguard the integrity of the scholarly process.

6. Disclosure and Transparency

The journal handles conflict-of-interest disclosures professionally and confidentially, while ensuring sufficient transparency to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Relevant conflicts of interest must be disclosed in the published article when appropriate, in accordance with the journal’s policies.

7. Editorial Independence

Financial interests, commercial considerations, institutional affiliations, or personal relationships must not influence scientific or editorial decisions regarding the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts.

RSJ affirms that editorial decisions are based solely on the scientific value of the research, its relevance to the journal’s scope, peer-review outcomes, and established academic standards.