Conflicts of interest / Competing interests

Conflict of Interest Policy

Terabit: Journal of Informatics and Computing is committed to maintaining the highest standards of transparency and ethical conduct in scholarly publishing. This policy outlines the identification, disclosure, and management of conflicts of interest for all parties involved in the publication process. The journal follows the Core Practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest occurs when personal, financial, professional, or academic relationships may influence, or be perceived to influence, objectivity in research, review, or editorial decision-making.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

All participants in the publication process must disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including but not limited to:

  • Financial interests: funding, employment, consultancy, stock ownership, or other financial relationships
  • Personal relationships: family or close personal connections
  • Academic relationships: collaborations or institutional affiliations
  • Competing interests: affiliations with organizations that may influence the research outcome
  • Intellectual property: patents, copyrights, or other related rights

Handling Conflicts of Interest

The journal handles conflicts of interest with transparency and integrity.

For Authors:

  • Authors must disclose all relevant conflicts of interest during submission.
  • If conflicts are identified after publication, authors must promptly inform the editorial board.

For Reviewers:

  • Reviewers must decline assignments if conflicts of interest exist.
  • Any conflicts identified during review must be reported immediately to the editor.

For Editors and Journal Staff:

  • Editors must not handle manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest.
  • Alternative editors will be assigned to ensure impartial decision-making.

For Publisher:

  • The publisher ensures that editorial decisions are independent and free from commercial or financial influence.

Transparency

All disclosed conflicts of interest will be handled appropriately and, when necessary, published alongside the article to ensure transparency. Individuals involved in a manuscript must not participate in its editorial or review process.

Policy Review

This policy is periodically reviewed and updated to ensure alignment with best practices in scholarly publishing.