Conflict of Interest

Editorial Policies

Conflict of Interest

The Review of Studies on Criminology, Sociology, and Law (RSCSL) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, impartiality, and accountability throughout the editorial and publication process. Actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest have the potential to influence—or appear to influence—the conduct, evaluation, interpretation, or publication of scholarly work. Accordingly, RSCSL requires authors, reviewers, editors, Editorial Board members, and editorial staff to disclose any relationships or circumstances that could compromise, or reasonably be perceived to compromise, their objectivity.

The purpose of this policy is not to discourage professional collaborations or funding relationships but to promote transparency, enable informed editorial decisions, and preserve public confidence in published research.

 

Author Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose all financial, professional, institutional, personal, legal, or other interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the design, conduct, interpretation, or reporting of their research.

Potential conflicts of interest may include, but are not limited to:

  • Employment or leadership positions within organizations related to the research;
  • Research grants, contracts, sponsorships, or other funding sources;
  • Consultancy agreements or advisory roles;
  • Honoraria, speaker fees, or expert witness payments;
  • Stock ownership, investments, or other financial interests;
  • Patent applications, intellectual property rights, or licensing agreements;
  • Personal, family, or close professional relationships that could influence the research;
  • Affiliations with governmental agencies, law enforcement organizations, judicial institutions, correctional agencies, advocacy groups, or non-governmental organizations directly related to the subject of the manuscript;
  • Political, legal, or policy-related interests relevant to the research topic.

Authors must disclose all relevant conflicts at the time of manuscript submission and update their disclosures if circumstances change during the editorial or publication process.

If no conflicts of interest exist, authors should include the following statement:

"The authors declare no conflict of interest."

Conflict of interest disclosures may be published with accepted articles to promote transparency.

 

Reviewer Conflict of Interest

Reviewers must conduct peer review independently, objectively, and without bias.

A reviewer must decline or withdraw from the review process if any circumstance could impair—or reasonably appear to impair—their impartiality.

Examples include:

  • Current or recent collaboration with any author;
  • Employment at the same institution as an author;
  • Personal, family, or close professional relationships with an author;
  • Academic competition or professional rivalry;
  • Financial interests related to the research;
  • Involvement in ongoing legal proceedings, criminal investigations, judicial matters, public policy development, or regulatory actions directly related to the manuscript;
  • Any circumstance that creates an actual, potential, or perceived conflict.
Reviewers must not use confidential information obtained during peer review for personal, professional, legal, or financial advantage.
 

Editor and Editorial Board Conflict of Interest

Editors and Editorial Board members must perform their editorial responsibilities fairly, independently, and objectively.

Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts when conflicts of interest exist, including situations involving:

  • Personal or professional relationships with the authors;
  • Current or recent research collaboration;
  • Employment at the same institution;
  • Financial or commercial interests;
  • Personal involvement in the research;
  • Legal representation or participation in proceedings related to the manuscript;
  • Any circumstance that could compromise editorial independence.

When an editor declares a conflict of interest, editorial responsibility will be transferred to another qualified editor who has no competing interests.

Editorial decisions must never be influenced by financial considerations, institutional affiliations, political views, commercial interests, or personal relationships.
 

Editorial Office Responsibilities

The Editorial Office is responsible for evaluating disclosed conflicts of interest and determining whether additional safeguards are necessary to preserve the integrity of the editorial process.

Where appropriate, the journal may:

  • Assign an alternative editor or reviewer;
  • Request additional disclosures or clarification;
  • Seek independent expert advice;
  • Require publication of conflict of interest statements;
  • Implement additional editorial safeguards to ensure an impartial evaluation.

All disclosures are reviewed confidentially and are considered solely for the purpose of maintaining fairness and transparency.

 

Funding Transparency

Authors must disclose all financial support received for the research, including:

  • Research grants;
  • Institutional funding;
  • Government funding;
  • Industry sponsorship;
  • Non-governmental organization support;
  • Private foundation funding;
  • Other financial assistance.

Funding sources should be identified in a dedicated Funding Statement within the manuscript. If no external funding was received, authors should state:

"This research received no external funding."

Disclosure of funding does not imply bias but promotes transparency regarding the research environment.

 

Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

Failure to disclose relevant conflicts of interest constitutes a breach of publication ethics.

Where undisclosed conflicts are identified, RSCSL may take appropriate editorial action, including:

  • Requesting additional disclosure prior to publication;
  • Suspending editorial consideration while the matter is investigated;
  • Rejecting the manuscript;
  • Publishing a correction or editorial notice;
  • Issuing an expression of concern;
  • Retracting a published article when an undisclosed conflict has materially affected the credibility, interpretation, or integrity of the research;
  • Notifying relevant institutions or funding organizations where appropriate.

The nature of the editorial response will be proportionate to the seriousness of the omission.

 

Management of Conflicts of Interest

The existence of a conflict of interest does not automatically prevent publication.

Editorial decisions are based on:

  • Scholarly quality;
  • Originality;
  • Methodological rigor;
  • Ethical compliance;
  • Transparency of disclosures;
  • Relevance to the journal's aims and scope.

When conflicts are appropriately disclosed and effectively managed, manuscripts may continue through the editorial process under appropriate safeguards.

Confidentiality

Conflict of interest disclosures are handled confidentially throughout the editorial process. Information will be shared only with individuals who require access to make informed editorial decisions and, where appropriate, disclosed publicly in the published article to promote transparency.

Commitment to Editorial Independence

The Review of Studies on Criminology, Sociology, and Law (RSCSL) is committed to ensuring that editorial decisions remain independent of financial, institutional, political, commercial, or personal influence. By requiring comprehensive disclosure and responsible management of conflicts of interest, the journal safeguards the integrity of peer review, strengthens public confidence in published research, and promotes ethical scholarship across criminology, sociology, law, criminal justice, forensic science, public safety, governance, and related interdisciplinary fields.

 

Alignment with International Standards

This Conflict of Interest Policy has been developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles of publication ethics, editorial independence, and responsible scholarly publishing and is aligned with:

  • Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) – Guidance on conflicts of interest, editorial independence, transparency, and publication ethics:
    https://publicationethics.org/
  • International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) – Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work, including recommendations on disclosure of relationships and activities, editorial independence, and conflict of interest management:
    https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/
  • Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) – Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, requiring transparent conflict of interest policies and ethical editorial governance:
    https://doaj.org/apply/guide/

RSCSL periodically reviews and updates this policy to ensure continued alignment with evolving international standards for publication ethics, editorial transparency, research integrity, and responsible open-access scholarly publishing.