Conflict of Interest Policy

To uphold the highest standards of transparency, integrity, and ethical conduct in scholarly publishing, Communica : Journal of Communication strictly adheres to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices and the DOAJ Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.

All parties involved in the publication process—including authors, reviewers, editors, and members of the editorial board—are required to disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest  that could influence their judgment, evaluation, or editorial decisions.

 

  1. Definition

A conflict of interest is any financial, institutional, personal, professional, or academic relationship that could reasonably be perceived as compromising the impartiality, objectivity, or integrity of research, peer review, or editorial decisions.

Examples of conflicts include but are not limited to:

  • Financial relationships: research funding, sponsorship, honoraria, consulting fees, employment, stock ownership, or paid expert testimony;
  • Non-financial relationships: personal relationships, institutional affiliations, political or ideological commitments, academic rivalry, or editorial responsibilities.

The existence of a conflict of interest does not necessarily indicate misconduct but must be fully disclosed to ensure transparency and trust in the scholarly record.

 

  1. Responsibilities

Authors

  • Authors must disclose all financial and non-financial interests that may influence the interpretation or presentation of their research.
  • A Conflict of Interest Statement must be prepared and submitted after the manuscript has been accepted for publication, during the Production Discussion stage in the journal’s online system.
  • Each author is required to complete and upload the signed Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form as a supplementary file under Production → Discussion → Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form.
  • If there are no conflicts to declare, authors must state clearly in the manuscript:

“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

Reviewers

  • Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts before accepting an invitation to review.
  • Reviewers with personal, professional, or institutional ties to the authors, or competing interests related to the manuscript, must decline the review.

Editors and Editorial Board Members

  • Editors and board members must disclose any potential conflicts that could affect their impartiality in handling submissions.
  • Editors are required to recuse themselves from managing manuscripts where conflicts exist.
  • The Editor-in-Chief may delegate the decision to another editor or an independent reviewer to maintain objectivity.

 

  1. Evaluation and Management

All disclosed conflicts are reviewed confidentially by the Editorial Office.
Appropriate actions may include:

  • Reassigning editors or reviewers to avoid bias,
  • Requesting clarification or additional disclosure,
  • Publishing a disclosure note with the article when necessary.

If an undeclared conflict is discovered after publication, the journal will take corrective measures in line with COPE guidelines, such as issuing a correction, expression of concern, or retraction depending on the severity.

 

  1. Transparency of Disclosure

Conflict of Interest Statements are published alongside each article to maintain transparency.
If no conflicts are declared, the statement “No conflicts of interest were declared” will appear in the published version.

This practice ensures the integrity and accountability of the journal’s academic record.

 

  1. Institutional and Publisher Responsibilities

The Editorial Board and Indonesian Scientific Publication (IDSCIPUB) guarantee complete editorial independence.

Advertising, sponsorship, or financial arrangements have no influence on editorial decisions or article content.

All staff members and editors operate under the COPE Core Practices and maintain full compliance with international ethical publishing standards.

 

  1. Ethical and International Compliance

This policy conforms with international best practices from:

  • Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE): https://publicationethics.org/competinginterests
  • Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ): Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing
  • World Association of Academic Editors (WAAE) / Editorial Conflicts of Interest Standards

Authors are encouraged to review these guidelines to understand the scope and intent of full disclosure.

Download Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form