CONFLICT OF INTEREST

1. General Policy

KENANGA: Journal of Biological Sciences and Applied Biology is committed to maintaining the highest standards of transparency, objectivity, and ethical conduct in scholarly publishing. The journal recognizes that conflicts of interest may arise when financial, personal, professional, institutional, or other relationships could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, the conduct of research, the evaluation of manuscripts, editorial decisions, or the publication of scholarly work.

All parties involved in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher, are responsible for identifying and disclosing any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest relevant to a manuscript.

The existence of a conflict of interest does not necessarily constitute research or publication misconduct. However, failure to disclose a relevant conflict of interest may compromise the transparency and integrity of the publication process and will be addressed in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies.

KENANGA follows the relevant principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and is committed to ensuring that editorial decisions are based on the scientific quality, originality, relevance, and scholarly merit of submitted manuscripts, without inappropriate influence from competing interests.

2. Types of Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of interest may arise in various forms, including but not limited to the following:

a. Financial Interests

Financial conflicts of interest may include research funding, grants, employment, consultancy arrangements, honoraria, stock ownership, patents, or other financial relationships with organizations or individuals that may benefit from or be adversely affected by the research or its publication.

b. Personal Relationships

Personal conflicts may arise from family relationships, close friendships, personal disputes, or other relationships that could compromise, or reasonably be perceived to compromise, impartiality in the preparation, review, or editorial assessment of a manuscript.

c. Professional and Academic Relationships

Professional or academic conflicts may include current or recent research collaborations, shared institutional affiliations, supervisory relationships, mentor–student relationships, or other professional connections that could influence the objective assessment of a manuscript.

d. Institutional Interests

Institutional conflicts may arise when an author's, reviewer's, editor's, or publisher's institutional affiliation or responsibilities could influence decisions concerning the research or its publication.

e. Intellectual and Competing Interests

Intellectual conflicts may arise when individuals have strong academic commitments, competing research interests, or publicly expressed positions that could influence their assessment of particular research findings, theories, or interpretations.

f. Funding and Sponsor Influence

Conflicts may arise when a funding agency, commercial organization, or other sponsor has an interest in the research outcomes or attempts to influence the study design, data collection, data analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, or publication decision.

These examples are not exhaustive. Any relationship or interest that could reasonably be considered relevant to the objectivity or integrity of the publication process should be disclosed.

3. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are required to disclose all actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that may be relevant to their submitted manuscripts.

Authors must:

1. Declare relevant conflicts of interest during manuscript submission.
2. Include a Conflict of Interest Statement in the manuscript.
3. Disclose relevant financial support, grants, sponsorships, employment, consultancy arrangements, or other relationships that could influence the research or its interpretation.
4. Explain the role of funding organizations or sponsors, where applicable, in the study design, data collection, data analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.
5. Notify the editorial office promptly if a previously undisclosed conflict of interest is identified during peer review or after publication.

If no conflict of interest exists, authors must include the following statement:

"The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest."

If one or more conflicts of interest exist, authors must provide a clear and transparent statement describing the relevant interests.

The disclosure of a conflict of interest does not automatically disqualify a manuscript from consideration. The editorial team will assess whether the disclosed interests require additional clarification, safeguards, or other appropriate measures to protect the integrity of the publication process.

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts objectively, confidentially, and independently. They must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could affect, or reasonably be perceived to affect, their impartiality.

Reviewers are expected to decline a review invitation if they:

1. Have financial, personal, or professional relationships with any of the authors that could compromise their impartiality.
2. Have recently collaborated with one or more of the authors or have other close academic relationships that could affect their judgment.
3. Have a direct competing interest in the research, findings, methods, or conclusions presented in the manuscript.
4. Have institutional or other relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing their assessment.
5. Believe that they cannot provide an objective and independent evaluation for any other reason.

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

Reviewers must not use confidential information obtained through peer review for personal, professional, financial, or academic advantage.

5. Responsibilities of Editors and Editorial Board Members

Editors and editorial board members must maintain editorial independence and ensure that manuscripts are evaluated fairly and objectively.

Editors and editorial board members must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest related to a manuscript and must not handle submissions in which their impartiality could reasonably be questioned.

When a conflict of interest is identified, the editor concerned must:

1. Inform the Editor-in-Chief or another appropriate editorial authority.
2. Withdraw from the editorial assessment and decision-making process for the manuscript.
3. Refrain from influencing the selection of reviewers or the final editorial decision.
4. Avoid accessing confidential editorial information beyond what is necessary for their legitimate responsibilities.

The manuscript must be assigned to an independent editor who has no relevant conflict of interest.

Manuscripts submitted by the Editor-in-Chief, editors, editorial board members, or other individuals involved in the journal's editorial management must undergo the same standards of peer review as other submissions. The submitting individual must be excluded from all editorial decisions concerning their own manuscript and must not have access to confidential information about reviewers or editorial deliberations beyond what is available to ordinary authors.

Where appropriate, KENANGA may appoint an independent editor or seek external editorial oversight to safeguard the fairness and credibility of the review process.

Editorial decisions must not be influenced by personal relationships, institutional affiliations, financial considerations, or other competing interests unrelated to the scientific quality and suitability of the manuscript.

6. Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher is responsible for supporting editorial independence and maintaining appropriate policies to identify and manage conflicts of interest within the journal's publishing operations.

The publisher must not interfere improperly with editorial decisions or influence the acceptance, rejection, or publication of manuscripts for financial, institutional, commercial, or personal reasons.

Any potential conflict of interest involving the publisher or individuals responsible for publishing operations must be disclosed and managed transparently to protect the integrity of the journal.

7. Disclosure and Publication of Conflict of Interest Statements

KENANGA requires authors to provide a Conflict of Interest Statement as part of the manuscript submission process.

The statement should be included in the manuscript, preferably in a designated section before the References, in accordance with the journal's author guidelines.

If no conflict of interest exists, the authors must explicitly declare this.

Relevant disclosures may be published alongside the article to ensure transparency and enable readers to assess the circumstances under which the research was conducted and reported.

Authors are also required to disclose funding sources and the role of funders, where applicable, in accordance with the journal's applicable submission requirements.

Failure to provide adequate disclosure may result in a request for clarification, a delay in the editorial process, or other appropriate action.

8. Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

If an undisclosed conflict of interest is identified during peer review or after publication, KENANGA will assess the matter objectively and determine the appropriate course of action based on the nature, seriousness, and potential impact of the conflict.

Depending on the circumstances, the journal may:

1. Request an explanation or additional disclosure from the relevant author or other party.
2. Require the publication of a corrected or additional Conflict of Interest Statement.
3. Reassign a manuscript to an independent editor or reviewer if the conflict affects the integrity of the review process.
4. Publish a correction or other appropriate editorial notice if necessary.
5. Refer the matter to the relevant institution or competent authority when further investigation is warranted.
6. Consider retraction if the undisclosed conflict has seriously compromised the reliability, integrity, or interpretation of the published work, in accordance with the journal's retraction policy.

All cases will be handled fairly, confidentially, and consistently with the journal's publication ethics policies and relevant COPE guidance.

9. Relationship with Other Editorial Policies

This Conflict of Interest Policy should be read in conjunction with KENANGA's Publication Ethics, Peer Review Process, Allegation of Research Misconduct, and Corrections and Retractions policies.

Where a conflict of interest raises concerns about research integrity, publication ethics, or the validity of a published article, the journal will follow the relevant procedures to assess the matter and take appropriate action.

10. Review and Revision of the Policy

KENANGA will periodically review this policy to ensure that it remains appropriate, transparent, and consistent with recognized standards of ethical scholarly publishing.

Any revisions will be made publicly available through the journal's official website.