Jurnal Communio recognises that transparency concerning competing interests is essential to maintaining the credibility of scholarly research and the independence of editorial decision-making. Financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships may give rise to competing interests when they influence, or could reasonably be perceived to influence, the conduct, interpretation, evaluation, or publication of research.

The existence of a competing interest does not necessarily indicate misconduct or compromise the scholarly merit of a manuscript. Nevertheless, relevant interests must be disclosed and, where necessary, appropriately managed to preserve confidence in the integrity of the publication process.

This policy complements the journal's existing Publication Ethics by specifying how competing interests are identified, declared, and managed throughout the submission, peer-review, and publication processes.

1. Disclosure of Competing Interests by Authors

All authors are expected to disclose financial and non-financial interests that could reasonably be considered relevant to the research presented in their manuscript.

Competing interests may arise from employment, consultancy arrangements, research funding, professional affiliations, personal relationships, institutional responsibilities, or other circumstances that could affect, or create a reasonable perception of affecting, scholarly independence.

The corresponding author is responsible for coordinating the disclosure of relevant interests among all co-authors and ensuring that the editorial office receives an accurate declaration during manuscript submission. Where no relevant competing interests exist, authors should provide a statement confirming their absence. Where a competing interest is identified, its nature and relevance to the submitted research should be described clearly and accurately.

Disclosure does not automatically prevent a manuscript from being considered for publication. The editorial team will assess the relevance of the declared interest and determine whether additional measures are necessary to ensure an impartial editorial process. Authors must inform the journal if a relevant competing interest emerges or becomes known after the initial submission.

2. Competing Interests in Communication Research

Jurnal Communio acknowledges that communication research frequently involves collaboration with public institutions, media organisations, private enterprises, civil society organisations, and local communities. Such relationships may contribute substantially to the relevance and practical significance of scholarly inquiry.

A competing interest may arise when researchers maintain financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships with organisations or individuals whose communication practices, policies, programmes, or activities constitute the subject of investigation.

Relevant circumstances may include consultancy arrangements with media organisations, participation in political communication campaigns, involvement in corporate communication programmes, or professional responsibilities within institutions being evaluated through research.

Researchers should disclose relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the formulation of research questions, the selection or interpretation of evidence, or the presentation of findings. Collaboration with external organisations, community participation, and the receipt of legitimate research funding do not, in themselves, constitute unethical practices. The journal recognises the importance of such partnerships, particularly in research addressing communication practices, cultural diversity, and social development. The central consideration is whether relevant relationships have been disclosed sufficiently to allow readers and editors to evaluate the circumstances in which the research was undertaken.

3. Competing Interests Involving Editors and Reviewers

Jurnal Communio recognises that editors and peer reviewers are active members of the academic community who may also contribute original research to the journal. Membership of the editorial board or reviewer panel does not, in itself, prevent an individual from submitting or publishing scholarly work in Jurnal Communio. Nevertheless, editorial responsibilities and authorship must remain appropriately separated to safeguard the independence and credibility of the peer-review process.

Editors and reviewers are required to disclose relevant competing interests associated with manuscripts assigned to them for editorial consideration or peer review. Where a significant competing interest exists, the individual concerned must not participate in the assessment or decision-making process relating to that manuscript.

Manuscripts authored or co-authored by an editor must be assigned to another suitably qualified editor who is not involved in the research and has no disqualifying competing interest. The editor who is among the authors must not participate in reviewer selection, manuscript assessment, or decisions concerning the submission. Similarly, reviewers who submit manuscripts to Jurnal Communio must not serve as reviewers of their own work or participate in its editorial evaluation. Such submissions remain subject to the journal's established peer-review procedures and the same scholarly standards applied to manuscripts submitted by other authors.

The journal does not grant preferential treatment on the basis of editorial membership, reviewer status, institutional affiliation, or professional relationships. Where the Editor-in-Chief is among the authors of a submitted manuscript, editorial responsibility must be delegated to an independent editor or another suitably qualified individual authorised to oversee the evaluation and decision-making process. The editorial office will maintain appropriate records of the independent handling of manuscripts involving members of its editorial or reviewer teams.

4. Declaration and Management of Competing Interests

Jurnal Communio requires relevant competing interests to be disclosed in a manner that is accurate, transparent, and proportionate to their potential influence on scholarly judgement. Authors should include a declaration of competing interests when submitting their manuscripts. The journal may request further clarification where the declaration is incomplete or where an identified relationship raises reasonable concerns about the independence of the research.

Where no relevant competing interests exist, authors may use the following statement: "The authors declare that they have no competing interests relevant to this manuscript."

Where competing interests exist, authors should identify the relevant relationship or interest and provide sufficient information to explain its connection to the research. The editorial team will consider the circumstances of each case and determine whether additional safeguards are necessary. These may include requesting further disclosure, appointing an independent handling editor, reassigning a reviewer, or taking other appropriate measures to preserve the impartiality of the editorial process.

Relevant author declarations should be made available in the published article. Where a manuscript is authored by an editor, the journal should also provide an appropriate statement confirming that the editorial assessment and peer-review process were conducted independently of the editor concerned. The journal's approach to managing competing interests is intended to promote transparency and fairness rather than impose unnecessary restrictions on legitimate academic collaboration or scholarly participation.

5. Undisclosed or Subsequently Identified Competing Interests

Competing interests may occasionally become apparent after a manuscript has been submitted or an article has been published. Where an undisclosed interest is identified, the editorial office will consider its relevance and whether the omission may have affected the research, peer-review process, or editorial decision.

The individuals concerned may be requested to provide clarification or additional documentation. Where necessary, the journal may undertake further editorial assessment or seek independent advice to determine an appropriate response. If an undisclosed competing interest materially affects the transparency or integrity of a published article, the journal may consider an appropriate correction or other editorial action in accordance with its Publication Ethics policy.

An undeclared competing interest does not automatically establish misconduct. The journal will distinguish between inadvertent omissions, circumstances requiring clarification, and deliberate concealment that may compromise the integrity of the scholarly record. Any concerns involving suspected ethical misconduct will be addressed through the journal's established procedures for handling allegations of research misconduct.