Conflict of Interest Disclosure Policy

At the Research Review Journal of Cultural Heritage and Traditions (RRJCHT), transparency, integrity, and objectivity are fundamental to our scholarly publishing process. All participants involved in publication — authors, reviewers, and editors — are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence their work, evaluation, or editorial decisions.

For Authors

Disclosure Requirement:

• Authors must disclose any financial, personal, academic, or professional relationships that may be perceived to influence the research or its interpretation. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Funding sources or sponsorship
  • Employment, consultancies, or advisory roles
  • Stock ownership or equity interests
  • Paid expert testimony
  • Patent applications or registrations
  • Personal or professional relationships with other researchers, institutions, or organizations

How to Disclose:

• A statement titled “Conflict of Interest” must be included in the manuscript prior to submission.
• If no conflict exists, authors must include the following declaration: “The authors declare no conflicts of interest.”

For Reviewers

Impartiality Requirement:

• Reviewers must decline or recuse themselves from reviewing manuscripts where:
  • A personal or professional relationship exists with the author(s)
  • A direct competitive or collaborative connection is present
  • A financial or intellectual interest may bias the review process

Disclosure Obligation:

• Reviewers must promptly inform the editorial office of any real or perceived conflict before accepting a review assignment.

For Editors

Fair and Unbiased Decisions:

• Editors must avoid handling manuscripts in which a conflict of interest exists.
• Editors must disclose any relevant financial or personal interests.
• Delegation of editorial responsibility to another qualified editorial member is required when necessary.

Editorial Integrity:

• Editors are expected to uphold the highest ethical standards and ensure a fair, objective, and unbiased review and publication process.

Management of Disclosed Conflicts

• All disclosed conflicts are carefully evaluated by the editorial team. Appropriate actions may include:
  • Publishing the conflict disclosure statement alongside the article
  • Reassigning editors or reviewers
  • Rejecting or withdrawing a manuscript if ethical standards are compromised

Responsibility and Enforcement

• Failure to disclose relevant conflicts of interest may result in:
  • Rejection of the manuscript
  • Retraction of a published article
  • Notification to the author’s affiliated institution
• RRJCHT follows the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in handling conflict of interest matters.

Contact

For questions, clarifications, or to report a potential conflict of interest, please contact:

Editorial Office
Research Review Journal of Cultural Heritage and Traditions (RRJCHT)
Email: editor@rrjcht.in