Conflict of Interest

JP2KG AUD is committed to maintaining transparency, objectivity, and integrity throughout the scholarly publishing process. All authors, editors, reviewers, and other parties involved in manuscript evaluation and publication must disclose any relationships or interests that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, their professional judgment.

A conflict of interest does not necessarily indicate misconduct. However, failure to disclose a relevant conflict may compromise the credibility and integrity of the research and publication process.

  1. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest occurs when financial, professional, personal, institutional, or other relationships may influence, or appear to influence, the objectivity of research, manuscript evaluation, editorial decisions, or publication.

Conflicts of interest may include, but are not limited to:

  • Financial interests: Research funding, grants, employment, consultancy, honoraria, paid expert services, stock ownership, or other financial benefits related to the manuscript.
  • Professional or institutional interests: Employment, supervisory relationships, institutional affiliations, collaborative research projects, or other professional relationships that may affect impartial judgment.
  • Personal relationships: Family relationships, close friendships, personal disputes, or other relationships that may compromise objectivity.
  • Academic interests: Competition, collaboration, intellectual commitments, or professional rivalries that may affect the evaluation of scholarly work.
  • Other relevant interests: Any additional circumstances that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or publication process.
  1. Responsibilities of Authors

All authors must disclose relevant conflicts of interest at the time of manuscript submission.

Authors are responsible for:

  1. Identifying financial and non-financial interests relevant to the research.
  2. Disclosing relationships with institutions, organizations, funders, or individuals that may influence the research or its interpretation.
  3. Reporting the role of funders or sponsors in the research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and decision to submit the manuscript, where applicable.
  4. Ensuring that all co-authors are aware of and agree with the conflict-of-interest declaration.
  5. Updating the editorial office if a relevant conflict becomes apparent during the review or publication process.

If no relevant conflict of interest exists, authors should include the following statement in the manuscript:

Conflict of Interest Statement: “The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.”

If a conflict exists, authors must provide a clear description of its nature and scope. The editorial team will assess whether additional disclosure or other measures are necessary.

  1. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors must evaluate manuscripts fairly and independently, based on scholarly merit, relevance, methodological quality, and compliance with the journal's publication ethics standards.

Editors must disclose any conflicts of interest that could affect their impartiality and must not handle manuscripts when such conflicts cannot be appropriately managed.

Editors should recuse themselves from editorial decisions when they have:

  • Authored or co-authored the submitted manuscript.
  • A close personal or professional relationship with one or more authors.
  • A direct financial or institutional interest in the research.
  • A significant academic or professional conflict that could compromise impartial judgment.

When an editor is recused, another qualified editor without a relevant conflict of interest will be assigned to manage the manuscript.

  1. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment.

Reviewers should decline the assignment or inform the editor if they:

  • Have recently collaborated with the authors or are engaged in closely related research that may affect impartiality.
  • Have a direct personal, professional, or financial relationship with an author.
  • Have a competing interest in the research findings.
  • Believe that another circumstance may compromise their ability to provide an objective assessment.

The editor will determine whether the reviewer may proceed or whether another reviewer should be appointed.

Reviewers must maintain confidentiality and must not use unpublished information obtained during peer review for personal, professional, or financial advantage.

  1. Funding Disclosure

Authors must disclose all funding sources that supported the research or manuscript preparation.

The funding statement should identify the funding organization and, where applicable, the grant number. Authors should also explain whether the funder had any role in the research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, or publication decision.

If the research received no specific external funding, authors may use the following statement:

Funding Statement: “This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.”

  1. Management of Conflicts of Interest

JP2KG AUD will assess disclosed conflicts of interest on a case-by-case basis.

Depending on the nature and severity of the conflict, the journal may:

  1. Require additional disclosure in the manuscript or published article.
  2. Reassign the manuscript to an independent editor.
  3. Appoint alternative reviewers.
  4. Request clarification or supporting documentation from the authors.
  5. Implement other appropriate safeguards to maintain an impartial editorial process.

The existence of a conflict of interest does not automatically result in manuscript rejection. The primary consideration is whether the conflict can be transparently disclosed and appropriately managed without compromising research integrity or editorial independence.

  1. Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

If an undisclosed conflict of interest is identified during peer review or after publication, JP2KG AUD may request an explanation from the relevant parties and investigate the matter in accordance with its publication ethics procedures.

Depending on the findings, the journal may require a correction, issue an expression of concern, reject a manuscript, or retract a published article when warranted.

All cases will be assessed fairly, confidentially, and consistently with applicable publication ethics standards.

  1. Commitment to Transparency

JP2KG AUD is committed to ensuring that conflicts of interest are disclosed and managed transparently to protect the credibility of research, the fairness of peer review, and the trust of readers.

All authors, editors, and reviewers are expected to comply with this policy as part of their participation in the journal's scholarly publishing process.