Conflict of Interest and Editorial Independence Policy

Antmind Review: Journal of Sharia and Legal Ethics, published by Antmind Youth Empower Foundation, is committed to maintaining transparency, impartiality, academic integrity, and editorial independence throughout the scholarly publishing process.

A conflict of interest, also referred to as a competing interest, arises when financial, personal, professional, institutional, academic, or other relationships could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, the objective conduct, evaluation, or publication of scholarly research.

Conflicts of interest may be actual, potential, or perceived. Their existence does not necessarily indicate misconduct; however, they must be disclosed and appropriately managed to protect the credibility of published research.

This policy applies to all authors, reviewers, editors, Editorial Board members, and the publisher involved in the journal's publication activities.

Conflicts of Interest for Authors

Authors must disclose any relationships, affiliations, financial interests, or other circumstances that could reasonably influence the design, conduct, interpretation, or reporting of their research.

Relevant competing interests may include:

  • Research funding, grants, sponsorships, or financial support.

  • Employment, consultancy arrangements, or professional appointments.

  • Personal, institutional, or professional relationships with individuals or organizations associated with the research.

  • Financial interests or organizational affiliations related to the subject of the manuscript.

  • Non-financial interests, including professional commitments or other circumstances that may affect impartiality.

All authors are responsible for providing accurate and complete declarations of competing interests.

A Conflict of Interest Statement must be included in each submitted research manuscript, including when the authors have no competing interests to declare.

Authors must also disclose relevant funding sources and the role of funders in the research and publication process.

Disclosure does not automatically disqualify a manuscript from consideration. The Editorial Office will assess whether any declared interest requires additional safeguards.

Conflicts of Interest for Reviewers

Reviewers must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest before accepting an invitation to review.

Potential conflicts include recent research collaborations, close personal relationships, financial interests, direct professional competition, or institutional relationships that could compromise an impartial assessment.

Reviewers must decline an invitation or notify the handling editor when a conflict prevents an objective evaluation.

Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts, provide fair and evidence-based assessments, and refrain from using unpublished research information for personal or professional advantage.

The Editorial Office is responsible for considering disclosed conflicts and, when necessary, appointing an alternative independent reviewer.

Conflicts of Interest for Editors and Editorial Board Members

Editors and Editorial Board members must conduct their responsibilities independently, fairly, and without preferential treatment.

Editorial decisions must be based on the manuscript's scholarly merit, originality, methodological quality, relevance to the journal's scope, and compliance with publication ethics.

Editors must disclose conflicts of interest and withdraw from editorial handling or decision-making when their impartiality could reasonably be questioned.

Manuscripts submitted by the Editor-in-Chief, editors, Editorial Board members, or individuals with close professional or personal relationships to them must be handled by an independent editor without relevant conflicts of interest.

Such submissions are subject to the journal's established double-blind peer-review procedures and must receive no preferential treatment.

Editors must not manage the peer review of their own manuscripts or participate in decisions concerning their publication.

Where the Editor-in-Chief has a conflict of interest, responsibility for the manuscript must be assigned to a qualified, independent editor.

The journal maintains the same academic and ethical publication standards for all submissions, regardless of authors' institutional affiliations or editorial positions.

Editorial Independence and Publisher Responsibilities

Antmind Review maintains editorial independence from commercial, financial, institutional, political, and other external influences.

Antmind Youth Empower Foundation, as the publisher, supports the journal's operational sustainability and ethical publishing practices while respecting the academic independence of its editorial leadership.

The publisher, sponsors, collaborating institutions, and other external parties must not interfere with manuscript evaluation, reviewer selection, editorial recommendations, or publication decisions.

The payment of Article Processing Charges (APCs), institutional partnerships, sponsorships, or other financial arrangements does not guarantee acceptance or influence publication priority.

The Editor-in-Chief holds final responsibility for scholarly publication decisions, except where a conflict of interest requires the decision to be delegated to an independent editor.

The journal publishes only regular issues and does not offer special issues or preferential publication arrangements.

Disclosure and Management of Conflicts

All relevant conflicts of interest must be disclosed as early as possible in the editorial or publication process.

The Editorial Office evaluates disclosed interests and determines appropriate measures, which may include requesting additional information, appointing independent reviewers, transferring editorial responsibility, or requiring further disclosure in the published article.

When a previously undisclosed conflict is identified after publication, the journal will assess its significance and determine whether a clarification, correction, expression of concern, or other appropriate action is necessary.

Suspected concealment of material competing interests will be handled in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics Policy and relevant Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidance.

Complaints concerning conflicts involving the Editor-in-Chief will be referred to an independent representative designated by the publisher, in accordance with the journal's Complaints and Appeals Policy.

All reported concerns will be assessed fairly, confidentially, and with appropriate documentation.

Transparency and Accountability

Antmind Review requires accurate conflict-of-interest declarations and supports transparent communication about relationships that may affect the interpretation of published research.

Published research articles must contain an appropriate conflict-of-interest statement.

Where applicable, financial support and the role of funding organizations must also be disclosed.

The journal periodically reviews its editorial procedures to maintain independence, accountability, and consistency with internationally recognized publication ethics standards.

This policy is informed by: