Conflict of Interest

Alfazuna: Jurnal Pembelajaran Bahasa Arab dan Kebahasaaraban

Alfazuna: Jurnal Pembelajaran Bahasa Arab dan Kebahasaaraban is committed to maintaining transparency, objectivity, and integrity throughout the scholarly publication process. The journal recognizes that conflicts of interest may influence, or appear to influence, the research process, manuscript evaluation, editorial decisions, and the publication of scholarly work.

All authors, reviewers, editors, and other parties involved in the publication process are required to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could affect their professional judgment or impartiality.

1. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when personal, financial, professional, academic, institutional, or other relationships may compromise, or reasonably appear to compromise, an individual's objectivity, independence, or impartiality in conducting research, reviewing manuscripts, making editorial decisions, or publishing scholarly work.

A conflict of interest does not necessarily indicate misconduct. However, failure to disclose a relevant conflict may undermine the transparency and credibility of the publication process.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to Alfazuna must disclose all relevant conflicts of interest that may have influenced their research, interpretation of findings, or manuscript preparation.

Potential conflicts include, but are not limited to:

• Financial interests, including research funding, grants, honoraria, consulting fees, employment, sponsorship, or other financial benefits related to the research.

• Professional or academic relationships, including supervisory relationships, close research collaborations, or other professional connections that may affect objectivity.

• Personal relationships, including family, close personal, or other relationships that could influence scholarly judgment.

• Institutional interests, where the author's institutional affiliation or responsibilities may create competing interests relevant to the research.

• Intellectual or competitive interests, including professional rivalry, competing research projects, or strong commitments that could influence the interpretation or presentation of findings.

Authors must include a Conflict of Interest statement in their manuscripts. If no relevant conflict exists, the following declaration may be used:

“The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article.”

Authors must also disclose relevant funding sources and explain the role of funders in the research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and publication decision, where applicable.

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts fairly, objectively, and confidentially. They are required to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest to the editorial team before accepting or continuing a review assignment.

Reviewers should decline a review invitation when, for example:

• They have a close personal or professional relationship with one or more authors that could compromise impartiality.

• They have recently collaborated with the authors or have a direct competing interest in the research.

• They have a financial or institutional interest that could be affected by the publication decision.

• They believe that their professional or personal circumstances prevent them from providing an impartial assessment.

If a potential conflict arises during the review process, the reviewer must promptly notify the editor. The editor will determine whether the reviewer should continue or withdraw from the assignment.

4. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors must make editorial decisions based on the manuscript's scholarly merit, originality, relevance, methodological rigor, and compliance with publication ethics, without inappropriate influence from personal, financial, institutional, or professional interests.

Editors must disclose relevant conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from handling a manuscript when their impartiality may reasonably be questioned. Such cases may include manuscripts authored by close collaborators, students or supervisors where a relevant relationship exists, family members, or individuals with whom the editor has a significant personal or professional relationship.

When an editor is recused, the manuscript will be assigned to an appropriate independent editor who has no relevant conflict of interest. The replacement editor will be responsible for overseeing the evaluation and making or recommending the editorial decision in accordance with the journal's policies.

5. Responsibilities of the Journal and Publisher

Alfazuna and its publisher are committed to identifying and managing conflicts of interest that may affect editorial independence or the integrity of the publication process.

The journal will take reasonable steps to ensure that editorial decisions are not improperly influenced by commercial considerations, institutional relationships, sponsorship, or other external pressures.

Any relevant conflict involving the journal's management, editorial board, or publisher must be disclosed and managed appropriately to safeguard fair and independent editorial decision-making.

6. Disclosure and Management Procedures

All relevant conflicts of interest should be disclosed as early as possible in the submission, review, and editorial decision-making processes.

The journal may request additional information or clarification whenever a potential conflict requires further assessment. Depending on the circumstances, appropriate measures may include reassignment of reviewers or editors, additional independent review, disclosure in the published article, or other steps necessary to preserve the integrity of the publication process.

The editorial team is responsible for determining appropriate measures based on the nature and seriousness of the conflict.

7. Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

If an undisclosed conflict of interest is identified after submission or publication, Alfazuna will assess the circumstances and determine the appropriate response.

Possible actions include requesting a disclosure statement or correction, reassessing the editorial process, publishing a correction or editorial notice, or taking other measures consistent with the journal's publication ethics policies. Where the conflict has materially affected the reliability or integrity of a published article, further action may be considered in accordance with the journal's correction and retraction policies.

8. Commitment to Transparency

Alfazuna: Jurnal Pembelajaran Bahasa Arab dan Kebahasaaraban considers the transparent disclosure and responsible management of conflicts of interest essential to maintaining trust among authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and the wider academic community.

All parties involved in the publication process are expected to act honestly, disclose relevant competing interests, and cooperate with the journal in addressing concerns that may arise.

The journal is committed to ensuring that conflicts of interest are managed fairly and transparently and that editorial decisions remain independent, objective, and grounded in scholarly quality.