CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND COMPETING INTERESTS POLICY

International Journal of Nature and Environmental Research (IJNER) is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and ethical publishing. The journal recognizes that conflicts of interest and competing interests may influence the objectivity, evaluation, and interpretation of scholarly research. Therefore, all authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members are required to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could affect the publication process.

A conflict of interest exists when personal, professional, financial, institutional, or other relationships may compromise, or appear to compromise, an individual's ability to make objective and impartial decisions regarding a manuscript.

Disclosure of Competing Interests

All participants involved in the publication process are expected to disclose any competing interests, including but not limited to:

  • Financial support, grants, sponsorships, or funding sources.
  • Employment, consultancy, advisory positions, or honoraria.
  • Personal, academic, or professional relationships with authors or institutions.
  • Ownership of patents, intellectual property rights, or commercial interests related to the research.
  • Institutional affiliations or collaborations that may influence the evaluation of the manuscript.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must disclose all financial and non-financial interests that could influence the results, interpretation, or conclusions of their research. Any source of funding or support received for the study must be clearly stated in the manuscript.

If no competing interests exist, authors should include the following statement:

“The authors declare that they have no known competing interests or conflicts of interest that could have influenced the work reported in this paper.”

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must maintain complete impartiality during the peer-review process. They should decline to review manuscripts if they have any personal, professional, or financial relationships that may affect their objectivity. Reviewers are also expected to maintain strict confidentiality regarding all unpublished materials.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors and members of the editorial board must avoid handling manuscripts in which they have any conflict of interest. Editorial decisions must be based solely on the scientific quality, originality, ethical standards, and relevance of the research to the journal's scope.

Transparency and Ethical Standards

The editorial office may request additional information regarding disclosed conflicts of interest whenever necessary. Failure to disclose relevant competing interests may result in the rejection, correction, or retraction of a published article.

Through this Conflict of Interest and Competing Interests Policy, International Journal of Nature and Environmental Research (IJNER) is committed to ensuring fairness, transparency, and accountability in scholarly publishing while preserving the credibility and integrity of the scientific record.