Conflict of Interest
1. Policy Statement
The International Journal of Education and Learning Studies (IJELS), published by PT. Intelektiva Global Nusantara, is committed to transparency, impartiality, editorial independence, and integrity in scholarly publishing.
All authors, editors, reviewers, and other individuals involved in manuscript evaluation and publication must disclose relevant financial and non-financial relationships, activities, or interests that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, their professional judgment.
The existence of a competing interest does not automatically disqualify a manuscript from publication. Transparent disclosure enables the Editorial Board and readers to evaluate any potential influence on the research and publication process.
2. Definition of Conflict of Interest
A conflict of interest, also referred to as a competing interest, arises when an individual's professional judgment regarding research, manuscript preparation, peer review, editorial evaluation, or publication could be influenced by a secondary interest.
Such interests may be actual, potential, or perceived, and may involve financial, personal, professional, institutional, academic, or other relevant relationships.
All potentially relevant interests must be disclosed even when the individuals concerned believe that the relationships have not influenced their work.
3. Types of Competing Interests
Research grants, consultancy payments, honoraria, employment relationships, equity interests, intellectual property royalties, commercial contracts, or other financial benefits that could be affected by publication outcomes.
Family relationships, close personal associations, professional rivalries, academic competition, or supervisory relationships that could affect impartial judgment.
Institutional affiliations, management roles, organizational partnerships, administrative responsibilities, or interests that may benefit directly from research or editorial outcomes.
Strong academic commitments, intellectual disagreements, competition for recognition, or involvement in related research that could compromise independent evaluation.
Advocacy roles, political or organizational activities, or other relationships that could reasonably be perceived as relevant to the manuscript or editorial decision.
4. Responsibilities of Authors
All authors must disclose interests relevant to the submitted manuscript, regardless of whether those interests have directly influenced the research.
- Declare financial and non-financial relationships that may affect the work.
- Identify relevant employment, consultancy, advisory, or institutional relationships.
- Disclose patents, intellectual property interests, or commercial arrangements where applicable.
- Identify research sponsorship and relevant funder involvement.
- Disclose relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing interpretation or reporting.
- Confirm the accuracy of declarations before submission and publication.
- Update the editorial office if new competing interests arise during manuscript processing.
The corresponding author must coordinate collection and submission of declarations from every co-author. Each author remains individually responsible for the accuracy of their disclosure.
5. Conflict of Interest Declaration
IJELS requires a Declaration of Competing Interests for every manuscript, including manuscripts with no competing interests.
The authors declare no competing interests.
The authors declare the following competing interests: [provide the author's name, the nature of the relationship or interest, the relevant organization, and its connection to the submitted work].
Declarations must be truthful, sufficiently specific, and updated when relevant circumstances change. Disclosure does not necessarily imply misconduct or invalidate the scholarly contribution.
6. Submission and Double-Blind Peer Review
At initial submission, author-identifying competing interest information must be included in the separate Title Page and relevant submission metadata rather than in the Anonymous Manuscript.
The Cover Letter should draw the editor's attention to any material competing interests requiring special management. The Anonymous Manuscript must not disclose author identities or identifiable relationships that would unnecessarily compromise double-blind peer review.
Following acceptance, the relevant Declaration of Competing Interests will be included in the published article in accordance with the journal's publication requirements.
7. Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers
Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts independently and objectively. Before accepting a review assignment, reviewers are required to disclose any relationship or interest that could compromise or appear to compromise their impartiality.
- Disclose relevant personal, professional, financial, or institutional relationships.
- Notify the editor of recent collaboration, direct competition, or close association with known or suspected authors where relevant.
- Decline or withdraw from a review assignment when impartiality cannot reasonably be maintained.
- Protect manuscript confidentiality.
- Refrain from exploiting unpublished information for personal or professional benefit.
The handling editor determines whether a disclosed interest can be managed or requires reassignment.
8. Responsibilities of Editors and Editorial Board Members
Editors and Editorial Board members must maintain impartiality and disclose relevant interests when managing manuscripts.
An editor with a significant personal, financial, institutional, or professional conflict must recuse themselves from the relevant editorial evaluation and decision-making process.
The Editor-in-Chief or an appropriate unconflicted representative will assign the manuscript to another qualified editor. Editorial staff must not use confidential manuscript information for personal gain.
9. Manuscripts Submitted by Editors or Affiliated Individuals
Manuscripts submitted by the Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Board members, journal staff, or individuals with close relationships to journal decision-makers are subject to the journal's established editorial screening and peer-review standards.
Individuals who are authors or have relevant competing interests must not select reviewers, manage evaluations, access confidential reviewer identities beyond their authorized role, or make editorial decisions regarding their own manuscripts.
An independent and appropriately qualified editor must oversee such submissions to protect the integrity of the double-blind review process.
10. Funding, Sponsorship, and Editorial Independence
Authors must disclose relevant financial support and describe the role of funders or sponsors in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, or publication decisions where applicable.
Financial support alone does not necessarily constitute a competing interest, but relationships that could influence judgment must be reported.
IJELS does not permit sponsors, funders, advertisers, or institutional stakeholders to exercise inappropriate control over independent editorial decisions.
11. Editorial Assessment and Management
When a competing interest is disclosed or identified, the editorial office may:
- Request additional clarification or supporting information.
- Require a more specific disclosure statement.
- Appoint an independent editor or reviewer.
- Require recusal from editorial or review responsibilities.
- Assess whether the reported interest affects the reliability or interpretation of the manuscript.
- Take appropriate editorial action if a serious undisclosed conflict compromises the publication process.
The response will be proportionate to the nature, seriousness, and relevance of the competing interest. Disclosure alone is not grounds for automatic rejection.
12. Undisclosed Conflicts and Post-Publication Actions
When a significant undisclosed competing interest is identified after publication, IJELS will assess its relevance and impact under the journal's Publication Ethics and Research Misconduct Policies.
The journal may request clarification, publish an updated competing interests declaration or correction, issue an expression of concern, or take further action when the evidence indicates a serious integrity problem.
Retraction is considered only when justified by the reliability, validity, or integrity of the published work and in accordance with the journal's Retraction Policy.
13. Confidentiality and Policy References
Conflict of interest disclosures will be handled with appropriate confidentiality during editorial processing. Relevant disclosures are made public in published articles to support transparency and informed reader assessment.
IJELS considers the following international resources when implementing this policy:
- Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Guidance
- ICMJE Disclosure of Interest
- Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing
IJELS requires transparent disclosure and appropriate management of competing interests to ensure that scholarly research, peer review, editorial decisions, and publication processes remain credible, fair, independent, and accountable.
