Conflict of Interest Policy

Conflict of Interest Policy

JPL: Jurnal Pengabdian Leuser is committed to maintaining transparency, objectivity, and academic integrity throughout the editorial, peer-review, and publication processes. All authors, reviewers, editors, and other individuals involved in the publication process are expected to disclose any circumstances that could potentially influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, their judgment.

1. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest (COI) exists when an individual has financial, professional, institutional, personal, or other interests that could potentially affect the objectivity, independence, or integrity of the editorial or peer-review process.

A conflict of interest does not necessarily indicate misconduct. However, disclosure allows the journal to assess and appropriately manage potential conflicts.

2. Authors

Authors must disclose any relevant conflicts of interest when submitting a manuscript.

Potential conflicts may include, but are not limited to:

  • Financial support, grants, sponsorships, or other forms of funding related to the work;

  • Employment, consultancy, or other professional relationships;

  • Personal or professional relationships with individuals or organizations that may be affected by the publication;

  • Institutional interests or affiliations that could influence the interpretation of the work;

  • Ownership of intellectual property or other commercial interests;

  • Other circumstances that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the manuscript.

If no relevant conflict exists, authors should state:

"The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this article."

3. Reviewers

Reviewers must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest before accepting a manuscript for review.

Reviewers should decline the assignment when, for example:

  • They have a close personal or professional relationship with one or more authors;

  • They have recently collaborated with the authors;

  • They are affiliated with the same institution in a way that could affect impartiality;

  • They have a financial or other interest related to the manuscript;

  • They have a competitive or adversarial relationship with the authors; or

  • They believe that their objectivity could reasonably be questioned.

When a conflict exists, the Editor may assign another reviewer.

4. Editors and Editorial Team

Editors must manage manuscripts objectively and disclose any relevant conflict of interest.

An editor should not handle a manuscript when they:

  • Are an author or co-author of the manuscript;

  • Have a close personal or professional relationship with an author;

  • Have a direct institutional or financial interest in the outcome;

  • Have another relationship that could compromise editorial independence.

In such cases, the manuscript should be assigned to another qualified editor.

5. Funding Disclosure

Authors are required to disclose financial or institutional support received for the reported community service or community engagement activity.

Funding information should identify the supporting organization and, where applicable, the role of the funder in the design, implementation, analysis, writing, or publication of the work.

If the funder had no involvement in these activities, authors may explicitly state this.

6. Institutional and Organizational Relationships

Community engagement activities may involve universities, government institutions, non-governmental organizations, companies, community groups, or other partners.

Such relationships should be transparently reported when they may influence the design, implementation, evaluation, interpretation, or reporting of the activity.

7. Disclosure and Management

All disclosed conflicts are evaluated by the Editor-in-Chief or designated editor.

Depending on the circumstances, the journal may:

  • Request additional disclosure or clarification;

  • Assign a different reviewer or editor;

  • Require a conflict-of-interest statement in the published article;

  • Take additional measures to protect the integrity and independence of the review process.

Failure to disclose a relevant conflict of interest may result in further editorial action if the undisclosed relationship is subsequently identified.

8. Post-Publication Conflicts

If a significant conflict of interest is identified after publication, the journal will assess the matter and may publish a correction, clarification, editorial note, or other appropriate notice when necessary to maintain the integrity of the published record.

9. Responsibility

The responsibility for identifying and disclosing relevant conflicts of interest ultimately rests with the individuals involved in the publication process.

JPL: Jurnal Pengabdian Leuser encourages full and transparent disclosure to protect the independence, credibility, and integrity of scholarly communication.