CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY

1. Policy Statement

Jurnal Inovasi dan Riset Pendidikan Dasar (JIRPD), published by PT. Intelektiva Global Nusantara, is committed to ensuring integrity, objectivity, transparency, and independence in scholarly publishing.

All authors, editors, reviewers, and individuals participating in the editorial process must disclose financial or non-financial relationships and interests that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, the conduct, interpretation, evaluation, or publication of scholarly work.

This policy applies to Original Research Articles, Review Articles, and all other manuscripts considered by the journal. Disclosure of a competing interest is an essential element of publication transparency and does not automatically imply misconduct.

2. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest, or competing interest, exists when a secondary interest may affect, or be perceived as affecting, an individual's professional judgment or responsibility in research, peer review, editorial decision-making, or scholarly publication.

Competing interests may be actual, potential, or perceived and may involve financial benefits, personal relationships, academic commitments, institutional interests, professional responsibilities, or other relevant circumstances.

Relevant relationships must be disclosed even when individuals believe that they have not influenced the reported research or editorial process.

3. Types of Competing Interests

4. Responsibilities of Authors

All authors must declare relevant competing interests transparently and accurately before manuscript submission and update their disclosures when circumstances change.

• Disclose relevant financial support, consulting relationships, commercial interests, and intellectual property rights.
• Identify professional or institutional relationships that could affect the research or its interpretation.
• Declare financial or professional interests relating to educational interventions, digital learning tools, or research products being evaluated.
• Disclose relevant supervisory, administrative, or personal relationships when they may influence impartial judgment.
• Accurately report sponsor involvement, financial assistance, and other relevant contributions.
• Confirm the completeness of declarations before acceptance and publication.
• Promptly inform the editorial office of newly identified competing interests.

The corresponding author coordinates declarations from all authors, but every author remains individually responsible for the accuracy of their disclosure.

5. Conflict of Interest Declaration

JIRPD requires a Declaration of Competing Interests for every submitted article, including manuscripts for which the authors have no relevant competing interests.

Disclosure is required irrespective of whether the authors believe that the declared interests have affected the findings or conclusions.

6. Submission and Double-Blind Peer Review

JIRPD requires authors to submit three separate documents: Cover Letter, Title Page, and Anonymous Manuscript.

Author-identifying declarations of competing interests must be submitted on the separate Title Page and recorded in relevant OJS submission metadata where required. Material conflicts that require editorial management should also be brought to the editor's attention through the Cover Letter.

The Anonymous Manuscript must not include author identities or identifying declarations that compromise double-blind peer review.

After manuscript acceptance, the final Declaration of Competing Interests will be included in the published article in accordance with JIRPD's publication requirements.

7. Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers

Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts objectively and disclose any relationship or interest that could compromise impartiality.

• Declare relevant financial, personal, professional, and institutional interests before accepting review assignments.
• Disclose recent collaboration, direct academic competition, or close professional association with manuscript authors when known or reasonably suspected.
• Decline or withdraw from reviewing when relevant conflicts cannot be adequately managed.
• Maintain confidentiality and avoid unauthorized disclosure of manuscript information.
• Refrain from using unpublished research findings or materials for private benefit.

The handling editor determines whether an identified conflict requires replacement of the reviewer or other protective measures.

8. Responsibilities of Editors and Editorial Board Members

Editors and Editorial Board members must maintain editorial independence and disclose personal, institutional, academic, financial, or professional interests relevant to manuscripts under consideration.

An editor with a significant competing interest must withdraw from managing or deciding the affected submission. Responsibility must be reassigned to an appropriately qualified editor without the relevant conflict.

Editors must not exploit unpublished research, confidential manuscripts, or editorial information for personal or institutional advantage.

9. Manuscripts Submitted by Editors or Affiliated Individuals

Manuscripts submitted by JIRPD editors, Editorial Board members, journal staff, or individuals closely connected to them will be evaluated according to the same scholarly and ethical standards applied to other submissions.

Any individual with a relevant competing interest must be excluded from reviewer selection, editorial evaluation, and decision-making relating to the affected manuscript.

An independent editor must oversee the editorial process to prevent preferential treatment or inappropriate influence.

10. Funding, Sponsorship, and Editorial Independence

Authors must disclose financial support and explain any material involvement of funders or sponsors in the research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, or publication process.

Funding support does not automatically constitute a conflict of interest, but relevant relationships and possible influence must be transparently reported.

JIRPD maintains independent editorial decision-making and does not permit sponsors, educational institutions, advertisers, or other external parties to improperly influence editorial outcomes.

11. Editorial Assessment and Management

When a competing interest is identified, the Editorial Board may:

• Request additional declarations, explanations, or documentation.
• Require clarification of the nature and relevance of the competing interest.
• Appoint independent reviewers or editors.
• Require recusal from conflicted editorial responsibilities.
• Evaluate whether an interest has compromised the reliability of the research or independence of the editorial process.
• Take appropriate action where significant undisclosed interests have affected the publication process.

The existence of a competing interest does not automatically result in rejection. Decisions must be based on its relevance, seriousness, disclosure, and appropriate management.

12. Undisclosed Conflicts and Post-Publication Actions

When an undisclosed competing interest is identified after publication, JIRPD will assess its significance in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics and Research Misconduct Policies.

Depending on the circumstances, the journal may request clarification, update the published declaration, publish a correction, or issue an expression of concern when serious unresolved questions remain.

Retraction may be considered only when warranted by significant concerns about the article's validity, reliability, or integrity, in accordance with the journal's Retraction Policy.

13. Confidentiality and Policy References

Relevant competing interest information is managed confidentially during manuscript evaluation, while appropriate author declarations are published to support transparency.

JIRPD considers the following guidance when implementing this policy:

• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Guidance
• ICMJE Disclosure of Interest
• Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing