Conflict of Interest

Conflict of Interest and Competing Interests Policy

Jurnal Ilmiah Ekotrans & Erudisi (JIEE) is committed to maintaining the integrity, objectivity, independence, transparency, and credibility of scholarly research and academic publishing. The journal recognizes that conflicts of interest, also referred to as competing interests, may arise during research design, data collection, analysis, manuscript preparation, peer review, editorial decision-making, and publication.

This policy establishes the principles and procedures for identifying, disclosing, evaluating, and managing actual, potential, and perceived conflicts of interest involving authors, editors, editorial board members, peer reviewers, journal personnel, and the publisher.

JIEE requires relevant interests and relationships to be disclosed transparently so that appropriate measures can be taken to safeguard the independence of scientific evaluation and maintain public trust in published research.

The policy is informed by the guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and internationally recognized principles of transparency and best practice in scholarly publishing.

1. Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this policy is to establish a consistent and accountable framework for the disclosure and management of competing interests throughout the scholarly publishing process.

Specifically, this policy aims to:

Promote transparency regarding financial and non-financial interests relevant to submitted and published research.
Protect the independence and impartiality of peer review and editorial decision-making.
Prevent inappropriate influence arising from personal, professional, institutional, political, academic, or commercial relationships.
Ensure that authors, reviewers, editors, and journal personnel understand their disclosure responsibilities.
Provide procedures for managing identified conflicts before and after publication.
Protect the reliability and credibility of the scholarly record.
Strengthen accountability and public confidence in the journal's publication processes.

This policy applies to all manuscripts submitted to JIEE and to all parties participating in their evaluation, publication, and post-publication management.

2. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when an individual's professional judgment, research interpretation, peer review assessment, editorial decision, or publication responsibility may be influenced, or could reasonably be perceived as being influenced, by secondary interests or relationships.

Such interests may be financial or non-financial and may involve individuals, institutions, organizations, funding bodies, professional associations, or other relevant parties.

JIEE distinguishes among three forms of conflict of interest:

Actual Conflict of Interest: A present relationship or interest that creates a conflict between an individual's professional responsibility and another interest.
Potential Conflict of Interest: A relationship or circumstance that could develop into a conflict affecting professional judgment or independence.
Perceived Conflict of Interest: A situation in which a reasonable and informed observer could question an individual's impartiality, even when improper influence has not been established.

The existence of a competing interest does not necessarily imply misconduct or invalidate research findings. However, failure to disclose a relevant interest may undermine the credibility of the research and the transparency of the publication process.

Disclosure allows editors and readers to assess whether particular relationships or interests may be relevant to the interpretation of the scholarly work.

3. Categories of Conflicts of Interest

3.1. Financial Conflicts of Interest

Financial conflicts may arise when an individual has financial relationships or interests that could influence, or appear to influence, research activities or publication decisions.

Examples include:

Research funding, grants, sponsorships, or contractual financial support.
Consultancy agreements or paid advisory positions.
Employment or financial relationships with organizations interested in the research outcomes.
Honoraria, professional fees, or paid speaking engagements.
Ownership of shares, stock options, or other financial interests.
Patents, intellectual property rights, royalties, or licensing agreements.
Paid expert testimony or professional services.
Financial support for travel, accommodation, equipment, or research activities.
Financial relationships involving organizations that may benefit from particular research findings.

Authors must disclose financial relationships that are relevant to the research or could reasonably be perceived as influencing its design, implementation, interpretation, or reporting.

3.2. Personal and Professional Conflicts of Interest

Personal and professional conflicts may arise from relationships that could compromise independent scholarly evaluation.

Examples include:

Close family or personal relationships between authors, editors, or reviewers.
Current or recent research collaborations.
Supervisory, mentoring, or academic dependency relationships.
Professional rivalries or significant interpersonal disputes.
Employment relationships or institutional reporting arrangements.
Direct professional competition that may influence editorial judgment.
Relationships that create an obligation, expectation, or pressure to provide a favorable decision.

Relevant relationships must be disclosed even when an individual believes that the relationship will not affect their objectivity.

3.3. Academic and Intellectual Conflicts of Interest

Academic or intellectual conflicts may arise when strongly held scholarly positions, professional commitments, research competition, or intellectual interests could compromise objective evaluation.

Examples include:

Direct competition between the work under review and an individual's own unpublished research.
Strong intellectual commitments that interfere with fair evaluation of competing explanations.
Attempts to promote particular theoretical perspectives regardless of the quality of the evidence.
Pressure to include unnecessary citations to particular individuals, research groups, or publications.
Use of editorial authority to advance personal citation metrics or academic interests.

Scientific disagreement alone does not constitute a conflict of interest. Reviewers and editors are expected to assess competing theories and interpretations on their scholarly merits.

3.4. Institutional and Organizational Conflicts of Interest

Institutional conflicts may arise when organizational relationships, administrative authority, or institutional priorities interfere with independent scientific evaluation.

Examples include:

An editor handling a manuscript submitted by an individual under their direct supervision.
A reviewer evaluating research submitted by a close colleague within the same institution.
Institutional pressure to publish manuscripts for accreditation, promotion, or performance targets.
Administrative intervention in manuscript acceptance or rejection.
Institutional financial or reputational interests associated with research outcomes.

Institutional affiliation alone does not automatically establish misconduct. However, relationships that create a reasonable risk of bias must be disclosed and appropriately managed.

3.5. Political, Policy, and Advocacy Interests

Because JIEE publishes research in public administration, governance, public policy, and related social sciences, competing interests may also involve political, governmental, regulatory, or advocacy relationships.

Relevant examples include:

Direct involvement in designing or implementing a policy being evaluated.
Employment by an institution whose performance is the subject of the research.
Paid advisory relationships with government agencies or political organizations directly connected to the study.
Organizational advocacy commitments that could reasonably influence research interpretation.
Personal or institutional interests in the findings of a policy evaluation.

Political opinions or professional policy expertise do not automatically disqualify a researcher from conducting or publishing scholarly work. Disclosure is required when a relationship or commitment could reasonably influence, or appear to influence, the research or editorial process.

4. Responsibilities of Authors

All authors are responsible for identifying and disclosing relevant competing interests associated with their submitted research.

Each author must consider whether any financial, personal, academic, institutional, professional, political, or other relationship could reasonably be perceived as influencing the manuscript.

Authors are required to:

Disclose relevant actual, potential, and perceived conflicts of interest at the time of manuscript submission.
Provide accurate and complete information concerning relevant financial and non-financial relationships.
Declare sources of research funding and material support separately from the conflict of interest statement.
Describe the role of funding bodies or sponsors in research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and publication decisions where applicable.
Identify relevant institutional or professional relationships associated with the research.
Notify the editorial office when a new competing interest arises or an existing declaration becomes inaccurate during manuscript processing.
Confirm that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the submitted conflict of interest declaration.
Cooperate with reasonable editorial requests for clarification or supporting information.

The corresponding author is responsible for coordinating the disclosure process and ensuring that the manuscript contains an accurate statement reflecting the relevant interests of all authors.

Responsibility for disclosure remains with each individual author, even when the corresponding author submits the declaration on behalf of the author group.

5. Conflict of Interest Declaration in Manuscripts

Every manuscript submitted to JIEE must contain a Conflict of Interest or Competing Interests statement.

The declaration should be placed in the manuscript's declarations section, preferably before the references or in another location specified by the journal's approved manuscript template.

5.1. When No Competing Interests Exist

Authors who have no relevant competing interests should include the following statement:

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial competing interests that could have influenced the research, analysis, interpretation, or publication of this manuscript.

5.2. When Competing Interests Exist

Authors with relevant competing interests must provide a clear and specific disclosure.

The following is an illustrative example:

Conflict of Interest: One author has served as a paid consultant to an organization involved in the policy area examined in this study. This relationship has been disclosed to the journal. The remaining authors declare no relevant competing interests.

Authors must replace the illustrative statement with an accurate description of their own circumstances. A disclosure does not automatically result in rejection, but the editorial team may request additional information or establish appropriate measures to manage potential bias.

5.3. Funding Disclosure

Research funding must be reported separately, including the identity of relevant funding organizations and the role of the funder where applicable.

An illustrative statement is:

Funding: This research received financial support from the funding organization identified in the manuscript. The funder had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, or decision to submit the article for publication.

This statement must only be used when it accurately reflects the funding arrangement. Where a sponsor participated in research activities or influenced publication decisions, that involvement must be described transparently.

Where no external funding was received, authors may state:

Funding: This research received no external funding.

A funding declaration does not replace the obligation to disclose other relevant competing interests.

6. Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers

Peer reviewers are responsible for providing independent, objective, confidential, and scientifically justified assessments of manuscripts assigned to them.

Before accepting a review invitation, reviewers must assess whether they have relationships or interests that could compromise their impartiality.

Reviewers must disclose relevant competing interests to the responsible editor and decline or withdraw from assignments when their ability to provide an independent assessment is reasonably compromised.

Potential grounds for declining a review assignment include:

Current employment at the same institution as an author, where the relationship creates a significant risk of bias.
Recent close collaboration with an author.
A supervisory or mentoring relationship with an author.
Close personal or family relationships.
Direct financial interests connected to the research or its findings.
Significant professional rivalry or competition affecting impartiality.
Direct involvement in the preparation or development of the submitted research.
Other circumstances that could reasonably compromise an independent review.

Consistent with COPE guidance, reviewers should pay particular attention to recent collaborations, including relevant collaborative relationships within the preceding three years.

Reviewers who become aware of an undisclosed conflict after accepting an assignment must inform the responsible editor promptly.

They must not use confidential manuscript information, unpublished research findings, or privileged knowledge gained through peer review for personal, academic, commercial, or professional advantage.

Reviewer recommendations for additional citations must be based on genuine scholarly relevance and must not be used to increase personal citation metrics.

7. Responsibilities of Editors and Editorial Board Members

Editors and editorial board members are responsible for ensuring that manuscript evaluation and publication decisions are conducted independently of inappropriate external or personal influence.

Editors must disclose relevant competing interests and withdraw from handling manuscripts where their relationships or interests could reasonably compromise their impartiality.

Such circumstances may include:

Manuscripts authored or co-authored by the editor.
Manuscripts submitted by close family members or individuals with significant personal relationships.
Manuscripts submitted by direct academic supervisees or close research collaborators.
Research involving organizations with which the editor has relevant financial relationships.
Manuscripts associated with significant professional disputes or academic competition.
Other relationships that could reasonably raise concerns regarding editorial independence.

When a conflict is identified, the manuscript must be reassigned to another suitably qualified editor without a relevant conflict of interest.

The conflicted editor must not participate in reviewer selection, reviewer recommendation assessment, manuscript evaluation, or the final publication decision for the affected submission.

Editorial Board membership does not provide preferential treatment to manuscripts submitted by board members or their collaborators.

Where a manuscript is submitted by the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, or another editorial decision-maker, responsibility for its assessment must be assigned to an independent and appropriately authorized editor.

The journal should document such reassignments and preserve sufficient evidence that the manuscript underwent an independent editorial and peer review process.

8. Conflicts Involving the Publisher and Journal Management

Universitas Ekasakti, as the institutional publisher of JIEE, supports the journal's scholarly mission while respecting the independence of scientific editorial decisions.

Institutional ownership, financial support, administrative authority, or organizational relationships must not be used to improperly influence manuscript acceptance, reviewer selection, research interpretation, or publication decisions.

The publisher and journal management should ensure that:

Editorial decisions are determined by scholarly merit and applicable publication standards.
Financial or administrative interests do not override independent scientific evaluation.
Relevant institutional relationships are disclosed when they may affect editorial independence.
Complaints involving journal management are assessed by individuals without relevant conflicts.
Institutional support and funding arrangements are communicated transparently where applicable.
Authors affiliated with Universitas Ekasakti receive no automatic preference in manuscript evaluation.

Manuscripts submitted by researchers affiliated with the publishing institution must meet the same scientific, ethical, and editorial standards as manuscripts from external institutions.

Where an institutional relationship creates a significant conflict, appropriate independent editorial arrangements must be established.

9. Research Sponsors, Funding Organizations, and Third Parties

Research sponsors and funding organizations may provide legitimate support for scientific activities. However, financial support must not compromise the independence of research findings, data interpretation, manuscript preparation, or publication decisions.

Authors must disclose the identity and relevant role of funding organizations or sponsors.

Editors may request clarification regarding:

The source and purpose of research funding.
The sponsor's role in determining research questions or methodology.
The sponsor's access to research data.
Any contractual restrictions on data analysis or publication.
The sponsor's involvement in manuscript preparation or approval.
Any financial interests associated with specific research outcomes.

Where a funder or sponsor has influenced the design, analysis, interpretation, or publication of a study, this involvement must be disclosed accurately.

Authors must not conceal sponsor involvement or misrepresent the independence of their research.

10. Article Processing Charges and Editorial Independence

JIEE recognizes the importance of maintaining a clear separation between financial administration and academic editorial decision-making.

Article Processing Charges, where applicable, must not influence the scientific evaluation of manuscripts or determine publication acceptance.

The payment or prospective payment of publication fees does not guarantee acceptance, favorable reviewer recommendations, expedited scientific approval, or exemption from editorial requirements.

Requests for fee waivers or financial assistance must not negatively influence editorial decisions.

The responsible editor must evaluate submissions based on scholarly quality, relevance, originality, methodological appropriateness, analytical rigor, and research integrity.

Information concerning applicable publication charges and waivers is provided in the journal's Article Processing Charge policy.

11. Procedures for Identifying and Managing Conflicts of Interest

JIEE adopts a structured process for addressing disclosed or suspected competing interests.

11.1. Disclosure

Relevant interests must be disclosed at the earliest appropriate stage of manuscript submission, reviewer invitation, editorial assignment, or other publication-related involvement.

11.2. Preliminary Assessment

The responsible editor evaluates the disclosed information to determine whether the relationship presents an actual, potential, or perceived conflict requiring action.

The evaluation should consider the nature of the relationship, its relevance to the manuscript, the individual's role in the publication process, and the likelihood that impartiality could reasonably be questioned.

11.3. Risk Management

Depending on the seriousness and nature of the conflict, appropriate measures may include:

Requesting additional disclosure or clarification.
Requiring a more detailed competing interests statement.
Assigning an independent reviewer.
Reassigning editorial responsibility to a non-conflicted editor.
Excluding a conflicted individual from a particular editorial decision.
Seeking independent methodological or specialist assessment.
Disclosing relevant relationships in the published article.
Taking other proportionate measures necessary to protect editorial independence.

11.4. Documentation

Relevant disclosures, editorial assessments, reassignments, and management decisions should be documented through the journal's authorized editorial records.

Confidential information must be handled in accordance with applicable privacy, institutional, and publication ethics requirements.

11.5. Continuing Disclosure

Authors, editors, and reviewers must promptly report material changes in relevant interests during the manuscript evaluation and publication process.

Previously undisclosed interests that become known before publication must be assessed before the editorial process is finalized.

12. Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

Where a potentially significant undisclosed conflict is identified, JIEE will assess the circumstances objectively and proportionately.

The responsible editor may request an explanation from the individual concerned, examine relevant evidence, and determine whether the relationship affects the reliability or independence of the research or publication process.

Possible editorial actions include:

Requesting a corrected or expanded disclosure statement.
Reassessing reviewer recommendations or editorial decisions.
Arranging additional independent peer review where necessary.
Temporarily suspending manuscript processing while the concern is examined.
Referring serious concerns to the relevant institution.
Rejecting a manuscript when sufficiently supported ethical concerns remain unresolved or publication standards cannot be met.

Failure to disclose an interest is not automatically equivalent to fabrication, falsification, or other forms of research misconduct. The journal must evaluate the nature of the omission, its significance, the available evidence, and the appropriate response.

Knowingly providing false or misleading disclosure information may constitute a serious publication ethics concern.

13. Conflicts of Interest Identified After Publication

JIEE recognizes that previously undisclosed competing interests may become known after an article has been published.

When such concerns are reported, the editorial team will assess whether the undisclosed relationship is relevant to the article's findings, interpretation, reliability, or publication process.

Depending on the outcome of the assessment, appropriate actions may include:

Publishing a correction to the competing interests declaration.
Providing an editorial clarification concerning the previously undisclosed relationship.
Reassessing the reliability of the published article where the conflict may have affected research interpretation or editorial evaluation.
Requesting additional information or an institutional investigation when serious concerns arise.
Issuing an Expression of Concern where significant unresolved reliability concerns justify such a notice.
Considering retraction when sufficiently supported evidence demonstrates serious unreliability or publication integrity violations meeting applicable retraction criteria.

The existence of an undisclosed conflict does not automatically justify retraction. Editorial responses must be proportionate to the nature of the conflict and its demonstrated implications for the scholarly record.

Corrections and other post-publication notices should remain linked to the relevant article and be communicated transparently.

14. Complaints, Appeals, and Independent Assessment

Authors, reviewers, readers, and other interested parties may report concerns regarding undisclosed conflicts of interest or inappropriate influence in the editorial process.

Reports should be submitted through the journal's official Contact page and should contain sufficient information to identify the relevant manuscript, publication, relationship, or editorial decision.

Where a complaint directly concerns the Editor-in-Chief or another responsible editor, the matter should be assigned to an appropriately authorized individual who is independent of the alleged conflict.

The journal should ensure that:

Concerns are assessed fairly and without unnecessary delay.
Relevant individuals are given a reasonable opportunity to respond.
Confidential information is protected where appropriate.
Decisions are supported by evidence and documented reasoning.
Complaints are not dismissed solely because they challenge individuals in positions of authority.
Editorial actions are proportionate to the circumstances and consistent with the journal's ethical policies.

Where formal investigation of individual conduct is required, the journal may cooperate with the relevant institution while retaining responsibility for appropriate publication-related decisions.

15. Transparency and Publication of Declarations

JIEE expects published articles to contain an appropriate Conflict of Interest or Competing Interests declaration.

Where authors report no relevant competing interests, the article should include an explicit statement to that effect.

Where competing interests exist, the published declaration should provide sufficient information for readers to understand the nature of the relevant relationships without unnecessarily disclosing unrelated private information.

Funding declarations should identify relevant funding sources and explain the role of sponsors when applicable.

Editorial disclosure information must be accurate, and conflicts involving editors or reviewers should be documented internally through appropriate publication management procedures.

The journal should periodically review the completeness and consistency of competing interests declarations as part of its editorial quality assurance activities.

16. Relationship with Other JIEE Policies

This policy should be implemented consistently with the journal's other editorial and publication ethics policies.

Where several editorial policies apply to the same matter, the responsible editor should ensure that decisions are consistent, transparent, and supported by appropriate documentation.

17. Policy References and International Guidance

The principles established in this policy are informed by the following resources:

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Core Practices: Conflicts of Interest and Competing Interests. COPE Official Website.
COPE Council. Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers. COPE Reviewer Guidelines.
International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Disclosure of Financial and Non-Financial Relationships and Activities, and Conflicts of Interest. ICMJE Recommendations.
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Ethics Toolkit for a Successful Editorial Office. COPE Ethics Toolkit.
Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Guide to Applying and Transparency Requirements. DOAJ Guide.

18. Policy Implementation and Review

This Conflict of Interest and Competing Interests Policy establishes the journal's framework for transparent disclosure, independent evaluation, and appropriate management of competing interests.

The policy becomes effective upon formal approval and publication by the responsible JIEE editorial management.

The editorial team should periodically review the policy to maintain consistency with internationally recognized publication ethics guidance, relevant institutional requirements, and the journal's operational procedures.

Any material changes to the policy should be communicated transparently through the official journal website.