Conflict of Interest Policy

Effective Date: 12.06.2006
Last Updated: 01.12.2024

M.C.E. Society Publications, under the aegis of Abeda Inamdar Senior College of Arts, Science, and Commerce, is committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in academic publishing. This policy outlines guidelines for identifying, disclosing, and managing potential conflicts of interest (COIs) to ensure unbiased and ethical publication practices.


1. Scope of the Policy

This policy applies to all parties involved in the publication process, including:

  • Authors
  • Editors
  • Reviewers
  • Publishers
  • Institutional representatives or funders

2. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest arises when personal, financial, or professional relationships or activities influence, or appear to influence, a party's ability to perform their role in the publication process impartially. Examples include:

  1. Financial COIs: Employment, funding, stock ownership, or consultancy fees.
  2. Non-Financial COIs: Personal relationships, academic competition, or institutional affiliations.
  3. Perceived COIs: Situations where a reasonable observer might question impartiality, even without actual conflict.

3. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must disclose any COIs that could influence the research or its interpretation, including:

  1. Funding Sources: All financial support for the research must be acknowledged.
  2. Institutional Affiliations: Any affiliations that might have influenced the study’s design, execution, or reporting.
  3. Personal Relationships: Any personal relationships that might affect objectivity.

Disclosure Statement:
Authors are required to include a conflict-of-interest statement in their manuscript, even if there are no conflicts to declare. For example:
"The authors declare no conflict of interest in the publication of this article."


4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must:

  1. Recuse Themselves: If they have personal, financial, or professional relationships with the authors or the subject matter.
  2. Disclose COIs: Notify the editor immediately if a potential conflict arises.
  3. Maintain Confidentiality: Avoid using information from reviewed manuscripts for personal or professional advantage.

5. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for:

  1. Ensuring Impartiality: Avoiding decisions influenced by financial, professional, or personal relationships.
  2. Disclosing COIs: Recusing themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict exists.
  3. Assigning Alternative Editors: Delegating decisions on manuscripts to other qualified editors if they have a COI.

6. Responsibilities of the Publisher

M.C.E. Society Publications must:

  1. Support Transparency: Promote open disclosure of conflicts by all parties.
  2. Address COI Concerns: Investigate and resolve any reported COIs fairly and promptly.
  3. Ensure Editorial Independence: Prevent undue influence by sponsors, funders, or advertisers on editorial decisions.

7. Procedures for Disclosure and Management

  1. During Submission: Authors, reviewers, and editors must complete a COI disclosure form.
  2. Review of Disclosures: The editorial board will assess all disclosed conflicts to determine their impact on the integrity of the manuscript or review process.
  3. Management of COIs: Steps to mitigate conflicts may include:
    • Reassignment of the manuscript to another editor or reviewer.
    • Disclosure of the conflict in the published article.
    • Rejection of the manuscript if the conflict compromises integrity.

8. Disclosure in Published Articles

To maintain transparency, published articles will include a conflict-of-interest statement. If no conflicts exist, the article will state:
"The authors have declared no conflicts of interest regarding this work."


9. Handling Undisclosed Conflicts

If an undisclosed COI is discovered:

  1. The editorial board will investigate and determine appropriate actions, which may include:
    • Retracting the manuscript.
    • Issuing a correction or notice of COI disclosure.
  2. Future submissions from the involved parties may be subject to additional scrutiny or restrictions.

10. Commitment to Ethical Standards

This policy aligns with the ethical guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and other global best practices for managing conflicts of interest in academic publishing.


11. Policy Updates

This policy is subject to periodic review and updates to reflect evolving standards in academic publishing. Any revisions will be communicated via the journal's official website.


12. Contact Us

For inquiries or to report a potential conflict of interest, please contact:

M.C.E. Society Publications
Abeda Inamdar Senior College of Arts, Science, and Commerce
Azam Campus, Camp, Pune, Maharashtra, India – 411001
Email: journal@mcesocietypublication.com
Phone: +91 00000 00000