Competing Interests Policy

The Global South Journal of Applied Research (GSJAR) requires authors, reviewers, editors and journal personnel to disclose interests that could influence, or reasonably appear to influence, the preparation, evaluation, interpretation or publication of scholarly work.

A competing interest may be financial or non-financial. Relevant interests may include employment, consultancy, honoraria, grants, sponsored research, paid testimony, stock ownership, intellectual-property rights, institutional relationships, personal relationships, recent collaboration, academic rivalry, ideological commitments or other circumstances capable of affecting impartial judgement.

Authors must include a competing-interests declaration at submission. Where none exist, the manuscript should state: “The authors declare that they have no competing interests.” Disclosure does not automatically disqualify a manuscript; it allows the journal and its readers to assess the work transparently.

Reviewers must disclose relevant interests before accepting an assignment and should decline when impartial review may be compromised. Editors and board members must recuse themselves from submissions involving their own work, close collaborators, family members, direct institutional relationships or other significant conflicts.

Where an editor is an author, an independent editor with no relevant conflict will oversee screening, reviewer selection and the final decision. The submitting editor will have no access to confidential reviewer identities or decision-making discussions beyond what is provided to any author.

Suspected undisclosed interests may lead to requests for clarification, reassignment of editorial responsibility, additional review, amendment of disclosures, correction of the published record or other appropriate action.

Disclosure is not itself evidence of wrongdoing. The purpose of the policy is to protect objectivity, accountability and reader trust.