Conflict of Interest

The Wah Academia Journal of Social Sciences (WAJSS) is committed to ensuring transparency, objectivity, and integrity in scholarly publishing. Conflicts of interest, whether financial, institutional, or personal, may compromise or appear to compromise the credibility of research and editorial decision-making.

The journal requires full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest from authors, reviewers, and editors.

This policy follows international best practices promoted by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).

Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when professional judgment concerning research, interpretation, or publication may be influenced by secondary interests.

Conflicts may include, but are not limited to:

  • Financial relationships (grants, employment, consultancies, honoraria, shares)
  • Institutional affiliations
  • Personal relationships
  • Academic competition
  • Political or ideological interests
  • Professional rivalries

Both actual and perceived conflicts must be disclosed.

Author Responsibilities

Authors submitting to WAJSS must disclose all potential conflicts of interest that could influence their work.

This includes:

  • Sources of funding
  • Institutional support
  • Commercial involvement
  • Personal relationships related to the research

Authors must include a Conflict of Interest Statement in their manuscripts.

Example:

  • The authors declare no conflict of interest.

OR

  • The authors declare the following potential conflicts of interest: [details].

Failure to disclose relevant conflicts may result in rejection, correction, or retraction.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers are required to:

  • Declare any potential conflicts of interest before accepting a review
  • Decline review assignments when conflicts exist
  • Maintain objectivity and confidentiality

Reviewers with conflicts must not participate in the evaluation of affected manuscripts.

Editorial Responsibilities

Editors and editorial board members must:

  • Disclose personal, financial, or institutional conflicts
  • Recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where conflicts exist
  • Ensure impartial and unbiased decision-making
  • Avoid preferential treatment of submissions

Editors do not participate in decisions regarding their own manuscripts.

Disclosure and Management of Conflicts

All disclosed conflicts are evaluated by the editorial office.

Management strategies may include:

  • Reassignment of editors or reviewers
  • Disclosure in published articles
  • Independent review
  • Additional oversight

The goal is to ensure fairness without restricting academic freedom.

Handling Undisclosed Conflicts

If undisclosed conflicts are discovered after publication, the journal follows COPE procedures:

https://publicationethics.org/guidance/Flowcharts

Appropriate actions may include:

  • Publication of corrections
  • Editorial expressions of concern
  • Retractions
  • Institutional notification

Transparency in Published Articles

All published articles include a Conflict of Interest statement to inform readers of relevant relationships.

Where applicable, funding and sponsorship information is disclosed separately.

Appeals and Complaints

  • Authors, reviewers, and readers may report suspected conflicts of interest to the editorial office.
  • Complaints are handled confidentially and in accordance with COPE recommendations.

Commitment to Ethical Publishing

By participating in the publication process, all stakeholders agree to uphold this Conflict of Interest Policy.