Conflicts of interest

The EIKI Journal of Effective Teaching Methods is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in publishing. We adhere to the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure transparency and integrity in our operations. This document outlines our policies and procedures regarding conflicts of interest for authors, reviewers, and editors.

Definition of Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest occurs when an individual's personal, financial, or professional interests could influence, or appear to influence, their judgment, decisions, or actions related to the publication process. Conflicts of interest can arise from various sources, including:

Financial relationships (e.g., funding, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony).
Personal relationships (e.g., family, close friendships, rivalries).
Academic competition or intellectual property interests.
Institutional affiliations or political beliefs.

Authors

Disclosure: Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. This includes, but is not limited to, financial interests, personal relationships, academic competition, and institutional affiliations.
Statement of Conflicts: Authors should include a statement in their manuscript detailing any potential conflicts of interest. If no conflicts exist, a statement declaring this should be included.
Funding Sources: Authors must disclose all sources of funding for the research presented in the manuscript, as well as any financial support for authorship or publication.

Reviewers

Disclosure: Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest before accepting an invitation to review a manuscript. This includes any financial, personal, or professional relationships with the authors or institutions involved.
Recusal: Reviewers should recuse themselves from reviewing a manuscript if they have a conflict of interest that could bias their review or be perceived as biasing their review.
Confidentiality: Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of the manuscript and not use any information obtained during the review process for personal advantage.

Editors

Disclosure: Editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence their editorial decisions. This includes financial relationships, personal relationships, academic competition, and institutional affiliations.
Recusal: Editors should recuse themselves from handling a manuscript if they have a conflict of interest that could bias their decisions or be perceived as biasing their decisions. In such cases, the manuscript will be reassigned to another editor.
Decision-making: Editors must ensure that decisions regarding manuscripts are based solely on their academic merit and relevance to the journal's scope, without any influence from external factors.

Procedures for Managing Conflicts of Interest

Disclosure Process: All parties involved in the publication process (authors, reviewers, and editors) must complete a conflict of interest disclosure form, which will be reviewed by the editorial office.
Review and Resolution: The editorial office will review all disclosed conflicts of interest. If a conflict is identified, appropriate actions will be taken to manage or mitigate the conflict. This may include reassigning the manuscript to another reviewer or editor, requiring additional disclosures, or implementing other measures to ensure the integrity of the review process.
Transparency: Any actions taken to address conflicts of interest will be documented and, where appropriate, disclosed in the published article to maintain transparency.
Ongoing Monitoring: The editorial office will continuously monitor and update conflict of interest disclosures to ensure that any potential conflicts are promptly identified and addressed.

Consequences of Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

Failure to disclose conflicts of interest can undermine the credibility of the research and the journal. If undisclosed conflicts of interest are discovered, the editorial office will take appropriate actions, which may include:

Retraction or correction of the published article.
Notification of the author's institution or funding body.
Banning the author, reviewer, or editor from future participation in the journal.

We are dedicated to maintaining the highest ethical standards in publishing and ensuring that all conflicts of interest are managed transparently and fairly. If you have any questions or need further assistance with conflict of interest disclosures, please contact us at editor@eikipub.com.