XIJIR is committed to maintaining the highest standards of transparency, integrity, and accountability in scholarly publishing. All individuals involved in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors, and members of the editorial board, are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, their roles or decisions.

1.1 Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when personal, financial, professional, or ideological relationships may compromise, or appear to compromise, objectivity in the research or editorial process. Such conflicts may include, but are not limited to:

·        Financial relationships (e.g., grants, employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership, paid expert testimony);

·        Personal or professional relationships with individuals or institutions connected to the research;

·        Academic competition, intellectual bias, or strongly held political, religious, or ideological positions that may affect impartial judgment.

1.2 Declarations by Authors

Authors are required to disclose all potential conflicts of interest at the time of manuscript submission, including funding sources, institutional affiliations, or personal relationships that may be perceived to influence the research.

Each manuscript must include a Conflict of Interest Statement. If no conflicts exist, authors should state:

“The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.”

Authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of their disclosures.

1.3 Declarations by Reviewers

Reviewers must declare any conflicts that could affect their ability to provide an impartial assessment. Where such conflicts exist, such as prior collaboration with the authors, competitive interests, or personal relationships, reviewers must decline the review invitation and inform the editorial office promptly.

1.4 Declarations by Editors

Editors and editorial board members must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict exists, including but not limited to institutional affiliation, recent collaboration, or personal relationships with the authors. Such manuscripts will be reassigned to an alternative editor to ensure unbiased editorial decision-making.

1.5 Handling and Publication of COIs

All disclosed conflicts are reviewed by the editorial office in good faith. Where necessary, appropriate actions may include disclosure within the published article, reassignment of editorial responsibility, or rejection of the manuscript.

Conflict of interest statements are published alongside articles where applicable. The absence of a published COI statement indicates that the authors declared no conflicts at the time of submission.