Conflict of Interest Policy — MIYR

The International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research-MIYR adheres to the principles set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) regarding conflicts of interest.
A conflict of interest is any situation — whether personal, academic, financial, institutional, political, or otherwise — that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the judgment, integrity, or objectivity of authors, reviewers, or editors. Even if such influence is only perceived and not actual, transparency is essential. If in doubt, disclosure is always the preferred course of action.

1. Authors’ Conflicts of Interest

Authors are required, at the time of submission, to declare all potential conflicts of interest using the MIYR_Submission_Details Form
Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Employment or consultancy arrangements
• Research funding or sponsorship from any source (including governmental, non-governmental, or commercial bodies)
• Ownership of shares or equity in relevant organisations
• Paid lectures, travel sponsorships, or other forms of personal remuneration
• Institutional affiliations that could benefit from the research outcomes

These declarations will appear in the published article if it is accepted. The existence of a conflict of interest will not automatically disqualify a manuscript; however, lack of disclosure may result in rejection or post-publication retraction.

2. Reviewers’ Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts when invited to review a manuscript.
Examples include:

• Manuscripts authored by family members, students, close collaborators, or colleagues
• Situations where the reviewer has a direct professional or financial stake in the outcome of the research
• Identification of authors despite anonymisation

If a conflict exists, the reviewer should decline the review. Where a minor conflict exists but the review proceeds, it must be disclosed to the editor.

3. Editors’ Conflicts of Interest

When the Editor-in-Chief or editorial board members are authors of a manuscript, the same conflict of interest principles apply as for other authors. In such cases:

• The editor will not be involved in assigning reviewers or making editorial decisions for that manuscript
• An alternative handling editor will be appointed to ensure independence

Editors must also recuse themselves from handling manuscripts authored by family members, students, close collaborators, or any case involving a financial or institutional conflict.

4. Editorial Board and Advisory Committee Members

Members of the journal editorial board or advisory committee are welcome to submit manuscripts. All such submissions will be processed through the same double-blind peer review system, ensuring confidentiality and fairness.

5. Journal Staff and System

• The manuscript management system is designed to prevent editors, board members, or reviewers from handling manuscripts where they have conflicts, such as being an author on the manuscript.
• Journal staff must uphold confidentiality and ethical standards in all manuscript handling stages.

6. Disclosure and Transparency

• When conflicts of interest are identified, a disclosure statement will be published with the article to inform readers.
• The journal may request additional documentation to clarify the nature and impact of the conflict.

Note: This policy applies equally to all submissions, whether they originate from within Mongolia, other Central Asian states, or internationally. The journal commitment to open access publishing makes full disclosure of potential conflicts of interest especially critical for maintaining global trust in the integrity of the scholarly record.