The International Journal of Behavioral Social and Movement Sciences (IJOBSMS) is committed to maintaining transparency, integrity, and ethical standards in scholarly publishing. The journal requires all participants in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, and editors, to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may influence their work or decision-making.

Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest arises when personal, financial, institutional, or professional relationships could improperly influence or bias the research, peer review process, or editorial decisions.

Conflicts of interest may include, but are not limited to:

• Financial support or funding from organizations with an interest in the research outcome
• Employment or consultancy relationships
• Personal or professional relationships with editors, reviewers, or authors
• Academic competition or collaboration that may influence objectivity
• Ownership of stocks, patents, or intellectual property related to the research

Author Responsibilities

Authors must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest at the time of manuscript submission.

Authors should:

• Clearly state all funding sources supporting the research
• Disclose any financial or non-financial interests that may influence the study
• Declare any relationships that could be perceived as a conflict
• Include a conflict of interest statement in the manuscript

If no conflicts exist, authors must include the statement:

“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest before accepting a manuscript for review.

Reviewers should decline to evaluate a manuscript if:

• They have a personal or professional relationship with the authors
• They have financial interests in the research outcomes
• They are in direct academic competition with the authors
• Any bias may affect their impartial judgment

Reviewers must maintain objectivity, confidentiality, and fairness throughout the review process.

Editor Responsibilities

Editors are required to avoid handling manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest.

Editors must:

• Recuse themselves from decision-making when a conflict exists
• Ensure fair and unbiased peer-review processes
• Maintain transparency in editorial decisions
• Disclose any potential conflicts related to submitted manuscripts

Management of Conflicts

When a conflict of interest is disclosed, the editorial team will evaluate the situation and take appropriate action, which may include:

• Assigning an independent editor or reviewer
• Requesting additional disclosures or clarifications
• Rejecting the manuscript in cases of serious ethical concern

Transparency and Integrity

IJOBSMS ensures that all disclosures are handled transparently and are published within the article where applicable. This helps maintain trust, credibility, and integrity in scholarly communication.

Policy Compliance

Failure to disclose a conflict of interest may result in:

• Manuscript rejection
• Retraction of published articles
• Notification to affiliated institutions
• Restrictions on future submissions

Disclaimer

The responsibility for disclosing conflicts of interest rests solely with the authors, reviewers, and editors involved in the publication process. The journal is not responsible for undisclosed conflicts that may affect the integrity of the research.