Conflict of Interest
Vision International Journal of Business and Economics (VIJBE) 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).
COPE Core Practices: https://publicationethics.org/core-practices
DOAJ Principles of Transparency: https://doaj.org/apply/guide/
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 VIJBE 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
VIJBE is dedicated to fostering a culture of transparency, accountability, and responsible scholarship.
By participating in the publication process, all stakeholders agree to uphold this Conflict-of-Interest Policy.
