Conflict of Interest
Peer-Reviewed · Open Access · Animal and Wildlife Research
Conflict of Interest
International Journal of Animal and Wildlife Research (IJAWR)
The International Journal of Animal and Wildlife Research (IJAWR) is committed to maintaining transparency, fairness, and integrity throughout the research, peer-review, and publication process. Authors, reviewers, editors, and other individuals involved in the publication process should disclose any conflict of interest that may affect, or may reasonably appear to affect, their objectivity or judgment.
What Is a Conflict of Interest?
A conflict of interest may arise when an individual's personal, professional, financial, academic, or other interests could influence their judgment or create a reasonable perception of bias in relation to a manuscript or publication decision.
In animal and wildlife research, potential conflicts may involve funding from wildlife-related organizations, commercial interests in animal products or research technologies, conservation projects, wildlife-management activities, or institutional relationships connected to the research.
A conflict of interest does not necessarily indicate misconduct. Disclosure allows potential conflicts to be considered transparently and, where appropriate, managed to protect the integrity of the editorial and peer-review process.
Roles and Responsibilities
Authors
Authors should disclose relevant conflicts of interest associated with their manuscript, including, where applicable:
Research funding or grants.
Financial relationships or support from organizations involved in animal science, wildlife research, conservation, or related industries.
Paid consultancies or advisory roles.
Professional or institutional relationships with organizations that may benefit from the research findings.
Interests involving animal-related products, wildlife-management practices, conservation programmes, or research technologies.
Other interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or its presentation.
Where no relevant conflict exists, authors should provide a clear Conflict of Interest declaration stating this. Authors should provide this declaration at the time of manuscript submission.
Reviewers
Reviewers should disclose any circumstance that could create an actual or perceived conflict in relation to a manuscript they are invited to review. This may include, for example, a recent collaboration, a close personal relationship, a competing professional interest, or an involvement in the same wildlife project or research programme as the author.
A reviewer should not participate in the review where a conflict could compromise, or reasonably appear to compromise, the impartiality of the evaluation.
Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and should not use information obtained through peer review for personal, professional, or other advantage.
Editors and Editorial Team
Editors and members of the editorial team should identify and disclose relevant conflicts that could affect their editorial judgment.
Where a conflict exists, the editor should, where appropriate, recuse themselves from handling the manuscript, and appropriate arrangements may be made to ensure that the manuscript is handled independently and objectively.
Editors should take particular care where a manuscript concerns an organization, project, funding source, or conservation initiative with which they have a relevant personal, professional, or financial connection.
Disclosure and Transparency
Conflict-of-interest disclosures should be made accurately at the appropriate stage of the submission or publication process.
Disclosure enables IJAWR to assess relevant circumstances and, where necessary, take appropriate measures to protect the fairness, independence, and integrity of editorial and peer-review decisions.
Undisclosed Conflicts
If a relevant conflict of interest is identified after submission or publication, IJAWR may review the circumstances and request clarification or an appropriate disclosure from the individuals concerned.
Where necessary, IJAWR may take further action in accordance with its applicable editorial and publication policies.
Responsibility
Authors, reviewers, editors, and other relevant participants share responsibility for providing complete and truthful disclosures of conflicts of interest.
Failure to disclose a relevant conflict may be considered when assessing the integrity of the submission, review, or publication process.
Policy Review
IJAWR may review and update this policy periodically to ensure that it remains consistent with recognized standards and responsible practices in scholarly publishing.