General Provisions

All authors, peer reviewers, and members of the editorial team must disclose any association that poses a conflict of interest in connection with manuscripts submitted to Turath Journal.

A conflict of interest includes any financial, professional, or personal association or relationship that could influence the objectivity, integrity, or interpretation of a publication. When a conflict of interest is disclosed by an author, reviewer, or editor, a footnote describing the conflict will be included with the published article, ensuring transparency and upholding the journal’s integrity.

Conflict of Interest Policy: Authors

Authors are required, at the time of manuscript submission, to disclose any conflicts of interest and acknowledge all funding sources that supported their work. This information must be included in the acknowledgements section of the manuscript. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors have disclosed any conflicts of interest. Recent collaborators, defined as individuals who have coauthored a paper or were a principal investigator on a grant with the author within the past 48 months, must not serve as reviewers or editors for the submitted manuscript.

Conflict of Interest Policy: Reviewers and Editors

Peer reviewers and editors must recuse themselves from handling a manuscript if their conflict of interest prevents them from making an impartial scholarly judgement.  Reviewers are expected to decline invitations to review manuscripts if they believe they cannot do so objectively. If a reviewer or editor believes their conflict does not preclude them from making a fair judgment, they must disclose the nature of the conflict to the journal. Editorial decisions for manuscripts solicited or commissioned by the Editor-in-Chief will be made by another editor to avoid any perception of bias.

Potential Conflict of Interest for Reviewers

The invitation letter to reviewers will include the following statement: “If you recognise or suspect the identity of the author and believe there is any potential conflict of interest due to your relationship with the author (e.g., close friendship, rivalry, or other reasons), please disclose this. By accepting this invitation, you confirm that there is no potential conflict of interest.” The standard policy is to avoid using a referee who declares a conflict of interest; however, the editors may exercise discretion after consulting with each other.

Submission by an Editor

A paper submitted by an editor will be managed by another editor who has no conflict of interest with the submission and is not affiliated with the same institution as the submitting editor. This alternate editor will oversee the peer review process and make all editorial decisions.

Submission by an Author at the Same Institution as One of the Editors

If an author submits a manuscript and there is a potential conflict with an editor at the same institution, the manuscript will be handled by another editor. This editor will select referees and make all editorial decisions independently.

Submission by a Family Member of an Editor or an Author with a Perceived Relationship Bias

Manuscripts submitted by family members of an editor or by authors whose relationship with an editor might create a perception of bias (e.g., close friendship or rivalry) will be managed by a different editor. This editor will oversee the peer review process and make all decisions regarding the manuscript. In cases of uncertainty, the editorial board will consult with the Editor-in-Chief to ensure fairness.

Erratum for Undisclosed Conflicts

Turath Journal reserves the right to publish an erratum disclosing previously undisclosed conflicts of interest related to a published article. Authors, reviewers, or editors who fail to disclose conflicts of interest deliberately or negligently may face sanctions, including temporary or permanent bans from publishing in Turath Journal.

This policy applies to all material published in Turath Journal and reflects the journal’s commitment to transparency and academic integrity.