Conflicts of Interest Policy

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure transparency, fairness, and integrity in the publication process across all journals published by Nitee Publication. Conflicts of interest can compromise the objectivity of research and its evaluation. By requiring disclosure, Nitee Publication seeks to maintain trust between authors, reviewers, editors, and readers, and to uphold the credibility of the scholarly record.

Definition

A conflict of interest is any relationship or activity that could interfere with the impartial presentation, peer review, editorial decision-making, or publication of a manuscript. Conflicts may be financial or non-financial, professional or personal, and may involve individuals or organisations.

Authors

Authors must disclose any relationships or activities that could be perceived to influence their work. In management and social sciences, this may include employment, consultancy, advisory roles, receipt of research support, or professional affiliations. Authors are required to submit a disclosure statement at the time of manuscript submission. If no conflicts exist, authors should explicitly state: “The authors declare no conflicts of interest.”

Reviewers

Reviewers must inform the editors if they have any relationship or activity that could bias their judgment of a manuscript. If such a conflict exists, reviewers should decline the review. Reviewers must also maintain confidentiality and must not use knowledge of the manuscript before publication for personal benefit.

Editors and Journal Staff

Editors and staff involved in editorial decisions must avoid conflicts of interest. Editors making final decisions must not have personal, professional, or financial involvement in the work they judge. If editors submit their own manuscripts, another colleague will manage the submission, and the editor‑author will recuse themselves from all related decisions. Editorial staff must not use information gained through handling manuscripts for private gain.

Double‑Blind Peer Review

This policy operates alongside Nitee Publication’s double‑blind peer review model, which minimizes bias by ensuring that authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other. Even with this safeguard, disclosure of conflicts of interest remains essential to uphold transparency and integrity in scholarly publishing.

Alignment with International Standards

Nitee Publication follows the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure that all journals under the theJournals.in platform maintains the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and trust.