The International Journal of Indigenous Languages (IJILAN) is committed to ensuring transparency, integrity, and accountability in scholarly publishing. To maintain public trust and uphold ethical publishing standards, all participants in the publication process—including authors, editors, reviewers, and editorial board members—are required to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that may influence their professional judgment, objectivity, or decision-making.

A conflict of interest exists when personal, financial, institutional, professional, political, or other relationships could improperly affect, or appear to affect, the conduct, evaluation, interpretation, or publication of scholarly work.

Purpose of the Policy

The purpose of this policy is to:

• Promote transparency and ethical accountability in scholarly publishing;

• Protect the integrity and credibility of published research;

• Ensure objective editorial and peer-review processes;

• Prevent bias or undue influence in academic decision-making.

Disclosure of interests does not necessarily prevent publication or participation in the review process; rather, it enables the journal to make informed and transparent decisions.

Declaration of Interest by Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to IJILAN must disclose any interests or relationships that could influence the research, interpretation, or publication of their work.

These may include, but are not limited to:

Financial Interests

• Research grants or sponsorships;

• Employment or consultancy arrangements;

• Honoraria, speaking fees, or travel support;

• Patents, royalties, or commercial affiliations;

• Ownership of shares or financial investments related to the study.

Institutional or Professional Interests

• Institutional affiliations that may benefit from the publication;

• Membership in advocacy groups or professional organizations connected to the research topic;

• Collaborative relationships that may influence interpretation.

Personal or Non-Financial Interests

• Personal relationships or rivalries;

• Ideological, cultural, political, or religious commitments that may affect objectivity;

• Community affiliations relevant to indigenous language or cultural research.

Authors must include a “Declaration of Interest” statement in their manuscript. Where no conflict exists, authors shall state:

“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

Failure to disclose relevant interests may result in rejection, correction, or retraction of the manuscript.

Declaration of Interest by Reviewers

Reviewers are required to disclose any conflicts of interest before accepting a manuscript for review.

Reviewers should decline review assignments where:

• They have personal or professional relationships with the author(s);

• They have competing research interests;

• They may benefit financially or professionally from the outcome of the review;

• Their objectivity may reasonably be questioned.

Reviewers must not use confidential information obtained during peer review for personal, academic, or commercial advantage.

Declaration of Interest by Editors and Editorial Board Members

Editors and Editorial Board members must:

• Disclose conflicts of interest relating to submitted manuscripts;

• Recuse themselves from editorial decisions where impartiality may be compromised;

• Avoid handling manuscripts involving colleagues, collaborators, students, or institutions with which they have close affiliations.

Editorial decisions shall be made solely on scholarly merit, academic quality, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal’s scope.

 

Indigenous and Community Interests

Given the journal’s focus on indigenous languages and knowledge systems, contributors are encouraged to disclose:

• Community affiliations or advocacy roles;

• Cultural or linguistic representation interests;

• Relationships with indigenous organizations or traditional institutions relevant to the study.

The journal recognizes that community engagement is often integral to indigenous scholarship; therefore, such relationships shall not automatically constitute unethical conflicts but must be disclosed transparently.

Management of Declared Interests

Where a conflict of interest is disclosed, the journal may:

• Request additional clarification or documentation;

• Assign alternative reviewers or editors;

• Publish disclosed interests alongside the article;

• Take appropriate steps to preserve the integrity of the review and publication process.

The Editor-in-Chief retains the authority to determine whether disclosed interests constitute a significant conflict requiring further action.

Non-Disclosure and Ethical Breach

Failure to disclose relevant conflicts of interest may constitute ethical misconduct and may result in:

• Rejection of the manuscript;

• Withdrawal of acceptance;

• Publication of corrections or disclosures;

• Retraction of published articles;

• Restriction of future submissions to the journal.

Commitment to Transparency and Integrity

IJILAN is committed to:

• Ethical and transparent scholarly publishing;

• Fairness and impartiality in editorial processes;

• Protection of indigenous knowledge systems and community interests;

• Maintaining public confidence in academic research and publication.

All contributors are expected to uphold the principles of honesty, accountability, and professional integrity throughout the publication process.