Conflicts of Interest

Journal of Maritime Business Management (JMBM) is committed to maintaining integrity, transparency, and fairness throughout the research, peer review, editorial, and publication processes. The journal requires all individuals involved in the publication process to disclose and appropriately manage any potential conflict of interest that may affect, or be perceived to affect, their objectivity and professional judgment.

1. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest occurs when personal, financial, professional, academic, or other relationships or interests may influence, or may reasonably be perceived to influence, the objectivity, impartiality, or decision-making of an individual involved in the publication process. Potential conflicts may include financial relationships, employment or consultancy, personal or family relationships, institutional affiliations, academic collaborations, competing interests, and intellectual property interests related to the submitted work.

2. Disclosure by Authors

Authors are required to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest that may be relevant to their manuscript at the time of submission. Authors should provide complete and transparent information regarding financial support, employment, consultancy, personal relationships, institutional affiliations, or other interests that could influence the research or its interpretation. If a conflict of interest becomes apparent after publication, the authors should promptly inform the editorial board.

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must disclose any conflict of interest that could affect their ability to provide an objective and impartial evaluation. Reviewers should decline a review invitation if they have a personal, professional, academic, financial, or other relationship with the authors or the research that may create a conflict. If a potential conflict becomes apparent after accepting the invitation, the reviewer must immediately notify the editorial board and withdraw from the review when appropriate.

4. Responsibilities of Editors and Editorial Staff

Editors and editorial staff must handle manuscripts objectively and independently. They must not participate in editorial decisions or review processes involving manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest. An editor or editorial staff member who has a personal, professional, academic, or financial relationship with the authors or the research must disclose the conflict and, where appropriate, recuse themselves from handling the manuscript.

5. Handling and Resolution of Conflicts

JMBM will assess and manage reported conflicts of interest on a case-by-case basis. Appropriate measures may include reassignment of reviewers or editors, exclusion of conflicted individuals from the decision-making process, requests for additional disclosure, or other corrective actions when necessary. Where uncertainty exists, the editorial board will determine the appropriate course of action based on the principles of fairness, transparency, and publication ethics.

6. Post-Publication Conflicts and Transparency

If a conflict of interest is identified after an article has been published, JMBM may take appropriate action to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record. Such actions may include publishing a correction, clarification, or other editorial notice when necessary. Any disclosed conflict of interest will be handled transparently and reported in accordance with the journal's editorial and publication ethics policies.

Journal of Maritime Business Management (JMBM) is committed to ensuring that editorial and peer review decisions are based on the scholarly quality, originality, relevance, and integrity of submitted manuscripts, and are not improperly influenced by personal, financial, professional, or other competing interests.